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Life and Scenes 



In (songo. 



BY 



REV. HERBERT PROBERL 




PHILADELPHIA: 

/Iniepican Baptist Publication Society, 

I420 Chestnut Street. 



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Life and Scenes 



IN CONGO. 



BY ^/ 

REV. HERBERT PROBERT. 



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PHILADELPHIA : 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 

1420 Chestnut Street. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S89, by the 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



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CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Incidents on the way — In London — On the Steamship 
"Kinsembo" — Monsieur de Haut— Gunpowder and 
candles — Bay of Biscay — Human fishes — Funchal — 
Musings — Land on the port bow— Tall hats — What's 
in a name — What makes it bite ? — Bonny — Ju-ju house 
The tom-tom — Burial at sea — Where are their spirits 
gone? 7 

CHAPTEB II. 

Banana — Door of the Dark Continent — Confusion of 
tongues — Sabbath breaking — At half mast, .... 25 

CHAPTER III. 

Steamship ''Heron" — Change of diet — Mukimvika — 
Ponta da Lenha — Fetich rock — Boma — Jocko — Tundua, 32 

CHAPTER IV. 
Matadi— The Hill Difficulty— Underbill Station— On the 

march — Traders and drink — Palabala, 41 

3 



4 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE V. 

PAGK 

Superstition — Very inattentive — Nganga — Idols and 
charms — Bullet proof— Stone of the earth — Nkasa, . 51 

CHAPTEH VI. 
Kanga Mpaka— Ornaments on the graves — Embalming 
his body — "Holely" ornaments — Is it wrong to steal? — 
Can he see spirits ? 62 

CHAFTER VIL 

Jiggers — Steamship ' ' Corisco ' ' — Taking medicine — 
Sound of the drum — The orchestra — The nganga says 
it may, 70 

CHAPTER VIII. 
In camp — Chop-boxes — Rousing the camp — Bad people 
— Conquered but not subdued — The Luvu — Banza 
Manteke — Little Johnny — Under a vow — Smoking the 
body — ^The Nkimba — The sacred grove — Intruding — 
Ndoki, 79 

CHAPTER IX. 

A great change — Chui'ch bells — Opposition — Never re- 
turned — Willing to suffer — I go back — CHmbing the 
palm tree 94 



CONTENTS. 5 

CHAPTER X. 

PAGE 

The Lunionzo — Baka mbizi — Stop that noise — Shade and 
shelter — Peace and sleep — He stepped upon a sharp 
rock — House of the stranger, 103 

CHAPTER XI. 

Mukumbungu — Seeking the unseen — My first fever — 
Nkebeni — Waiting at the table — Easily remembered — 
Deserted — Selfishness, 112 

CHAPTER XII. 

Hunting — Zinzou zazingi — Face to face — Still in death — 
A delicate morsel, 122 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Lukungu — Elephants and crocodiles — The swing bridge — 
Lost his balance — Gymnast, 128 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Paying the carriers — Difficult to satisfy — Rejoicing in his 
riches — Conquered at last, 133 

CHAPTER XV. 

Mavuzi's letter — Kivuila's letter — Markets in Congo — In 
the market — ^The site of the market — Things for sale — 
Tempting morsels — Theft in the market — Awful pun- 
ishment, • , . 140 



6 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

PAGH 

Stanley Pool — The Bateke— Leopoldville — Upper Congo 
traders — On board the ''Henry Reed" — The beauties 
of the Pool — No ketch bottom — A frog concert — The 
** En Avant" — Extended jaws — A narrow escape — 
Clock Point — Seized by a crocodile — IJ-p-r-a-a — Bolobo 
— Bolobo natives — Let go that fish — Malamu baa — 
Mode of execution — A weird scene— Ny am a baa — 
Wa-t-ch — Collars not of linen — Killed by a buffalo, . 150 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Equator Station — Bay me, Ingileza — Curious questions 
— Are they making soup? — Oh, thy pocket is empty 
— -A visit from savages — Shut your eyes , 175 

CHAPTER XVIII 
Woman stealers — Wadz'okum — Who is the greatest? — 
Longest arms — Kilolo hymn — Closing article — Light 
for Ethiopia, 185 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 



CHAPTER I. 

INCIDENTS ON THE WAT— IN LONDON— ON THE STEAMSHIP KIN- 
SEMBO — MONSIEUR DE HAUT— GUNPOWDER AND CANDLES — BAT 
OF BISCAT — HUMAN FISHES— FUNCHAL— MUSINGS — LAND ON THE 
PORT BOW — TALL HATS — WHAT'S IN A NAME — WHAT MAKES IT 
BITE — BONNT— JU-JU HOUSE— THE TOM-TOM — BURIAL AT SEA — 
WHERE ARE THEIR SPIRITS GONE? 

TlOG and smoke effectually obscured the blue sky 
-*- as, for the fifth time, I found myself in the 
world^s metropolis, the city of London. Our train, on 
the Great Western Railway, rolled into Paddington 
Station as evening shadows fell. After a short ride on 
the Metropolitan Underground Railroad, I emerged 
into daylight, or rather gaslight, at Aldgate Street Sta- 
tion. Here we were speedily hailed with " Cab, sir?'' 
" 'ansom, sir ? '' '^ Four wheeler? '' But though heavily 
burdened, we could not afford a cab or 'ansom, even 
minus the letter ^' H," so we moved off in the direc- 
tion of a friendly horse car which was en route for 

7 



8 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

the East End. The especial object of our visit to the 
city was to make a few purchases in the shape of an 
outfit — light clothing, white umbrella, pith helmet, 
traveling bed and blankets, bath, medicines, carpen- 
ters' tools, cooking utensils such as saucepan, frying 
pan, enameled plates, cups and saucers, knives, forks, 
and spoons, traveling chair, small tent, etc. It took 
several days to secure the aforementioned articles, 
especially the etcs. Of this little outfit, some things 
are in Central Africa; some are at the bottom of the 
Congo ; while others are at the bottom of the Atlantic 
Ocean. While in London, I was hospitably enter- 
tained at Harley College. Although Mr. H. Grattan 
Guinness was absent, yet I found a little chamber, 
and a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, 
for the man of God. 

Having completed my purchases, and arrangements 
for the voyage, and having again visited relatives and 
friends, Tuesday morning found me at the offices of 
Elder, Dempsey & Co., of Liverpool. After taking 
in the many sights of this great seaport, on Wednes- 
day morning we went on board our steamer, the 
^^ Kinsembo '^ of the African Steam Navigation Com- 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 9 

pany. What a crowd there was on the tender ! I 
thought we were to have a large number of passen- 
gers. There were not many Christians in the crowd, 
for clinking glasses and drinking healths seemed the 
order of the day. Down in our little state room, 
just before the tender left, I, an ex-missionary, to- 
gether with my dear brother and his wife, spent a 
brief season in prayer. 

Presently the bell rang, and the usual " All ashore '^ 
from stentorian lungs was heard. Most of the sup- 
posed passengers went over the gangway to the tender, 
until there were but four of us on the ^^ Kiusembo.'^ 
Immediately the plank was withdrawn and we were 
under weigh. As we steamed down the Mersey, and 
as the tender returned to the landing stage, I gazed 
upon my dear brother and sister, and Picton, as long 
as I could distinguish them. To them I was the 
object of interest. As my brother afterward wrote : 
'' It was not the old vessel that I cared so much about, 
but a portion of her cargo.'^ As I have intimated, 
we were but four passengers, so it did not take us 
long to introduce ourselves to each other. There was 
myself, first American Baptist Missionary to Congo. 



10 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

Passeuger number two was a smart young Scotchman, 
Mr. Jaynes, whose parents were members of the Bap- 
tist Churchy Hereford, England. Passenger number 
three was a colored man, and a native of Gaboon, 
which is a French possession. He claimed to be a 
son of the late king of Gaboon, and w^hen asked his 
name, promptly gave it as Prince Makaga Ndinga. 
He was a man of Cetewayo's build, spoke English 
and French fairly w'ell, and was an interesting com- 
panion. The fourth passenger was a French gentle- 
man, Monsieur de Haut, bound for Libreville, Gaboon. 
He was a chemist, a lover of natural history, and 
fond of hunting. Whenever we passed a school of 
porpoises, he fired excitedly, frequently missing, but 
sometimes wounding the harmless, playful creatures. 
When, in the Calabar River, he fired at a shark, I was 
pleased ; when he tried to hit a crocodile, I was glad ; 
but why kill or w^ound the porpoise? Whenever we 
passed them, they gave us a free entertainment, dis- 
porting themselves around our steamer, and leaped, or 
swam, or dived, as though for our especial amuse- 
ment. 

One evening we found the monsieur in the saloon. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 11 

busily engaged, in order to pass the time, in recharging 
cartridges. On the table before him was a heap of 
powder, together with caps, bullets, empty cartridges, 
and a lighted candle. As we had paid for our passage 
to the mouth of the Congo, and having regard to our 
own welfare, we quietly called the attention of the 
Italian steward to the situation. At the same moment 
the purser came in and there was quite a little breeze. 
The purser promptly ^' put out the light,'^ as he felt 
that it and the powder were in unpleasant proximity 
to each other. So, while our friend got a blowing up, 
we were not blown up. 

We had a fifth passenger, for, last but not least, 
there was the monsieur's dog, a huge mastiff. So my 
readers will see that there was a small but select party 
on board the steamship "Kinsembo," as on June 17th, 
1885, she steamed down the Mersey into the Irish Sea. 

When we crossed the Bay of Biscay, I will not say 
that the sea rolled mountains high. As a matter of 
fact, it never rolls mountains high, but it was rough. 
My bosom heaved with the motion (emotion) of the 
steamer, and I paid tribute, again and again, to Father 
Neptune. This seemed singular, as I had before this 



12 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

sailed over many thousands of miles of deep blue sea. 
On the second day, my stomach performed its office 
without a murmur, my feet and ankle bones recovered 
strength, and I stood upon my sea legs. The " Kin- 
sembo '^ did not go directly to Congo. Our first stop- 
ping place was the sunny Isle of Madeira, with its 
harbor of Funchal, whose waters are so very clear. 
I wish my readers could see the little Portuguese boys, 
in their boats around our steamer, and hear them 
shout, '' Senor, throw sixpence in water.'^ ^^ Bring it 
up in my teeth.'^ ^^Pick it up between my toes." 
" Throw far way." " Dive under steamer for six 
pence, senor." A German gentleman who came on 
board threw money several times. He had just re- 
turned from his ostrich farm in South Africa, so he 
had a deeper purse than I, or than even Prince Makaga. 
We could see the bright silver sinking into the depths 
as a boy dived after it. Each time he appeared with 
the coin in his teeth or between his toes. For a 
sixpence, another boy dived right under our steamer, 
a depth of over twenty-five feet. There was no dan- 
ger here from sharks, but diving so frequently must 
surely be very injurious. Dear little fellows! why 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 13 

were they not in school ? Alas ! schools here are few 
and far between ; and such schools ! In this beautiful 
isle of the sea everything is controlled by Romanists. 
A number of men came on board with articles for sale. 
Among these w^ere fancy needlework, ornamental writ- 
ing desks and work baskets ; rattan and wicker work of 
all descriptions, such as chairs, sofas, tables, etc. Some 
offered for sale photographs of the town of Funchal, 
while others had birds of every hue and plumage, 
inviting the inspection of the traveler. I did not 
make a purchase, as I was going the wrong way. 
The surf was bad, but I made a hurried visit to the 
town, put my letters in the " correio ^^ or post office, 
and accompanied by Mr. Jaynes and Prince Makaga, 
I went into the large Roman Catholic church. It 
was a high day, and though the hour was early, th^ 
church was well filled. All were evidently in earnest. 
We looked upon them as they came out. Why those 
dissatisfied, gloomy countenances ? Out upon such a 
religion, that cannot give joy to the heart nor peace 
to the soul. 

Leaving the sunny isle, the '^Kinsembo^' was steered 
for the west coast of Africa. I may be pardoned for 



14 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

introducing here these few lines, written soon after 
leaving Madeira. They were spontaneous and very 
imperfect, but here they are : 

*Tis night, 
The stars are shrouded in a veil of mist ; 
The sickly moon through hazy clouds is faintly shining. 
In Southern waters sailing — off Madeira's Isle, 
I pace the quarter-deck alone, alone, 
Then cease my step to muse awhile ; 
To think of you, and ''home, sweet home/' 
Home, where my aged sire, whose once athletic form 
Is bending now toward the tomb ; and that dear one who 

gave me birth. 
With wrinkled brow and whitened locks. 
Like ripened grain, fit for the sickle. 
Sit round the evening fire, and fondly talk 
About their absent boy. 
Methinks I hear the echo of their prayer : 
' ' Father of love and power ; 
Hear thou us in this hour ; 
Thy richest blessings pour 

Upon our absent boy. 
Keep him in Congo land. 
And may he firmly stand, 
One of thy faithful band. 

True to his God.'' 

When about four hundred miles south of Madeira, 
we sighted Teneriffe's " cloud-piercing height.'' We 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 15 

passed close to the island. The base of the mount 
was wrapped in cold, gray clouds, but thirteen thous- 
and feet above it pierced the clouds, and its summit 
was bathed in sunlight. We thought of Goldsmith's 
lines, in his description of a good man : 

'* Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, 
Eternal sunshine settles on its head." 

Between Teneriffe and the west coast, and when 
out of sight of land, a pretty and gaudily-arrayed 
butterfly flew around the quarter-deck, as though it 
came to bid us welcome to tropical Africa. One 
morning a flying fish fell on board. It was soon in 
the scientific hands of Monsieur de Haut, who wanted 
the poisson volant (flying fish) to add to his collection 
of treasures. 

Hurrah ! Land on the port bow. Our first sight 
of Africa. Away in the distance, we could just 
descry the dim outline of the African coast. The 
experienced eye of the captain not only saw land, but 
recognized it as a part of the Kru coast. We drew 
near the shore, then hove to and fired a heavy gun. 
Through our glasses we could very plainly discern 
a commotion, and a rush for the steamer. In an 



16 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

hour the forward deck was crowded with Kru boys. 
Some came to work, and others came to trade and to 
take back the canoes. These stalwart fellows were 
naked, save a small cloth around the loins. I observed 
that the sailors in the forecastle were doing a roaring 
trade with the Kru boys. The Kru boys take a fancy 
to tall chimney-pot hats. The sailors had gotten an 
inkling of this on a previous voyage, and provided 
a large number, attractive in appearance, but very 
cheap. These the Kru men eagerly purchased with 
ivory, parrots, monkeys, skins, fish, and fruits. Soon 
they came marching majestically along the deck, 
crowned with a tall hat, which was still covered with 
the white paper. Those who purchased tlie tall hats 
were loth to return to their canoes. 

Captain Jolly was impatient to get under weigh, 
and the visitors w^ould not retire, so orders were given 
to start the engines full speed. Then there was a 
scene. The owners of the hats mounted the ship's 
sides, and plunged into the rough waters, completely- 
submerging the tall hats. This afforded great delight 
to the other men on board. We were also amused, 
and I could hear the deep, gutteral laugh of Prince 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 17 

Makaga^ as he looked upon the men struggling to get 
to their canoes. With every group of Kru boys there 
is a headman or leader. He " has charge of them, and 
each one pays him a small portion of his wages. 
These headmen have been down the coast before, and 
can jabber away in English, French, or Portuguese, 
to the extent of about twelve words. They are 
named by the officers of the ship or by traders. The 
headmen on our steamer rejoiced in the names of 
" Pea-soup;' " Kettle-of-Fish;' and " Sea-breeze.'' 
Pea-soup was a fairly good fellow, had a great sense 
of humor, but, like many others, was sadly demoral- 
ized through drink. He was a tall man, and his legs 
turned in at the knees. The only article of clothing 
he wore was an old shirt, and he cut quite a figure as 
he moved around looking after his men. Pea-soup 
and Kettle-of-Fish were rather jealous of each other, 
and frequently had a great palaver. I must confess 
I regarded Pea-soup as the better man. 

When in Liverpool I purchased a small galvanic 
battery, and this aiforded the Kru boys much amuse- 
ment. I placed one handle in a bowl of water on one 
of the hatches, and my German friend put a coin in the 



18 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

water. The Kru men looked on. After explaining 
matters a little, and stating conditions, I called for a 
volunteer, who was soon forthcoming. He seized one 
handle with a vise-like grip, and with the other hand 
attempted to take up the coveted coin. With an 
awful yell it was instantly withdrawn, and he started 
forward on a run. I shall not soon forget the expres- 
sion of fear and surprise on their faces. Several 
tried, with the same result. The headman was 
instructed to ask: ^^ White man, what make water 
bite?^^ 

After calKng at several places, we arrived at the 
Bight of Benin. Here many Kru men went on shore 
to work. There were three other steamers in the 
Bight, and of what do you think their cargo con- 
sisted ? Cloth ? No. Food ? No. Missionaries to 
teach the heathen ? No, alas, no. Mostly rum. For 
whom was the rum intended ? For the poor, unen- 
lightened African. Steamer after steamer comes 
down the coast, sometimes with a quantity of mer- 
chandise, or a few heralds of the cross, but for the 
most part laden with rum, and that, horrid stuif at 
best. Oh, America, your skirts are even now red 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 19 

with the blood of your victims! Spare the poor 
African ! Give him a chance in the race of life ! 

Leaving Benin, we proceeded to Bonny, which is 
situated on one of the mouths of the Niger River, 
and is the home of King "Oko Jumbo/^ Myself, 
Mr. Jaynes, and the prince went through the native 
town, which lies so low that we found the effluvium 
from the rank and decaying vegetation very great. 
Among other places, we visited the Ju-ju house. I 
imagine my readers pause and ask, "What is a Ju-ju 
house ? '^ It is a place where the people practice their 
superstitious rites. Inside the house was a heap of 
human bones, while the outside was decorated with 
the skulls of the many victims who had been slain in 
battle, or at their religious feasts. I inwardly loathed 
the sickening sight, and gladly turned away. Most 
of the children in this town were nearly naked ; many 
quite so. 

During our ramble, we paid a visit to Ciiief Alison, 
or, as he gave his name, "Jamaica Alison, Esq.^^ As 
Jamaica Alison, Esq., walked along to his home, a 
slave walked behind him, holding a huge gaudy um- 
brella over the head of his chief. 



20 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

Nearly all chiefs iu Bonny keep slaves. We saw 
many large canoes on the river, manned by slaves, 
and on which the '^ tom-tom ^^ seemed an indispensa- 
ble piece of music. It is made by fixing pieces of 
different kinds of wood on strings across the canoe, 
and the musician sitting behind the chief, with two 
sticks, produces music something like "Rum-tum-tum, 
rum-tum-tum, rum-tum-tum-tum,'^ The effect is all 
the better when heard at a distance. 

After our return to the '^Kinsembo,^^ we had an in- 
troduction to another Bonny man, Warribo Merilla 
Pepple, commander-in-chief of the* Bonny forces. 
He was a shrewd old gentleman. 

While at Bonny, I spoke in the little Episcopal 
church, the first time I spoke on African soil. 

From Bonny we went to Old Calabar. While I 
visited the Presbyterian Mission, Monsieur de Haut 
spent a whole day in hunting. He returned at night, 
tired, hungry, and thirsty, and with no game; not 
even the carcass of a monkey. 

After calling at Fernando Po and San Tome, we 
anchored at Libreville, Gaboon, which is on the 
equator. Here Monsieur de Haut left us. We 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 21 

often thought of him. Does he yet live? Was he 
smitten by the African fever? Did he come to grief 
on some hazardous hunting expedition ? Or is he 
now in some town or jungle in the interior, collecting 
specimens in the interests of science, or hunting, or 
making observations among the Sierra Complida? I 
do not know. Here, too, was the home of Makaga 
Ndinga. I went to the home of the prince, and 
found it a comfortable house. His wife came down 
to the beach to meet him, and eluded him for staying 
away so long. Evidently she thought he had spent 
too much money ; and he was certainly dressed more 
fashionably than his relatives. Poor Prince Makaga! 
his glory is departed. His princely rank is not recog- 
nized by the French, although, perhaps, more worthy 
of recognition than is that of some other princes we 
know. 

From Gaboon we proceeded to Mayumba. Here 
Bishop Taylor, I was told, had planted a mission, 
which, it was hoped, would soon become self-support- 
ing. The experience of the brethren as reported to 
me was far from satisfactory. As to the question of 
self-support in African missions — among native 



22 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

preachers we think it possible, but among white men 
we think it impracticable. It is a foreign land to the 
white man. His constitution cannot endure as much 
fatigue as in his own country. To the white man on 
the unhealthy west coast of Africa, " the time is short.^^ 
It is short and very precious, and it does not pay for 
him to till the soil and erect his dwelings. He may, 
and should superintend all this, but he will find suffi- 
cient scope for the exercise of his physical powers in 
other directions. 

Here at Mayumba, one of the pioneers of the 
English Baptist Mission to Congo was buried, on 
June 28, 1887. I refer to the Rev. T. J. Comber, 
who died the second day from Banana, while on his 
way home in the German steamship, ^^Lulu Bohlen." 
Among his last words were these: 

'' Christ, thou art the fountain, 
The deep spring-well of love ; 
The springs of earth I've tasted ** 

and almost with these words on his lips, he passed 
away to be with Christ, whom he so loved. 

Our only other stopping place before we reached 
Congo was Kabenda. It is forty miles north of the 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 23 

Congo. The '' Kinsembo'^ stayed here two days, and so 
we went on shore. Some distance up from the beach, 
and near to several traders' establishments, there is a 
little " God's Acre.'^ Here lies Rev. Henry Craven, 
formerly of Palabala, and one of the first missionaries 
from England to Congo. After six years of faithful 
service, he died in 1884. Feeling somewhat run 
down, he left Palabala, and came to Kabenda, to Mr. 
McCready, of the English factory. Here he was 
again stricken with his old trouble, from which he 
never rallied, but passed to that land where " neither 
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.'^ As I 
stood near the grave of the honored dead, methought 
I heard a voice exclaim, " Blessed are the dead which 
die in the Lord from henceforth ; yea, saith the spirit, 
that they may rest from their labors ; and their works 
do follow them.'^ Here in his lonely grave sweetly 
he sleeps, while the restless waters of the Atlantic 
and the breezes among the graceful palm trees sing 
his requiem. 

Between Mayumba and Kabenda two Kru boys 
died. Their bodies were speedily sewn up in canvas, 
and for the first time in my life I saw a burial at sea. 



24 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

The bodies were placed upon one of the hatches, then 
with little ceremony, and without checking the speed 
of the steamer, they were consigned to the great deep. 
At the word of command, other Kru boys lifted the 
hatch ; two plunges into the water, and all was over. 
How little did these poor Kru boys know of the 
world's Redeemer ! The Atlantic took their bodies ; 
whither went their spirits ? Not to heaven, for, 
" there shall in no wise enter into it anything that 
defileth ; '' and while few of these men know of Christ, 
they sin, sometimes ignorantly ; sometimes against 
light and knowledge. We never yet found any one 
who lived up to the light he possessed. We have no 
sympathy with the theory of a second probation. 
We believe that the eternal destiny of all men is 
unalterably fixed at death, to say the least of it. We 
do not think that the Africans are " sinners above all 
sinners;" others perhaps sin far more than they. 
God will judge them righteously. "As many as 
have sinned without law, shall also^msA without law; 
and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be 
judged hy the law.'^ 



CHAPTER ri. 

BANANA— DOOR OF THE DARK CONTINENT — CONFUSION OP 
TONGUES — SABBATH BREAKING — AT HALF-MAST. 

T EAVING Kabenda at eight in the morning, we 

-*^ made our last run, arriving at Banana, on the 

Congo, at four in the afternoon. The whole sea, long 

before we came near Banana, at the entrance of the 

Congo River, was of a deep brown color, and of quite 

fresh water, with a strong current running toward 

the ocean. The mouth of the Congo is very deep. 

Recent soundings have established the fact that the 

main channel at the mouth of river is over fourteen 

hundred feet deep, or more than a quarter of a mile. 

The width of the river at the mouth is seven and a 

half miles. Farther inland, where it passes through 

narrow gorges, or branches out into creeks, where the 

land lies low, its width is from one to fifteen miles. 

The actual source of the Congo is still a matter of 

conjecture, and hence its length cannot yet be fully 

determined. If it rises in the Urungu Mountains, 

25 



26 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

flows through Lakes Bangueolo and Moero, then its 
length must be three thousand miles. It receives into 
its bosom the waters of many mighty rivers, as the 
Lomami, the Arawimi, the Itembiri, the Lolongo, 
the Juapa, the Mobangi, the Kua, the Kasai and the 
Sankuru ; also smaller rivers, such as Ikilemba, 
the Kimpoko, the Gordon-Bennett, the Luila, the 
Nkalama, the Lulovo, the Nkisi, the Lunzadi, the 
Manene, the Luasa, the Mpioka, the Luwa, the 
Lukunga, the Kuilu, the Lunionso, the Luvu, the 
Bembizi, the Nduzi, and the Mpozo, and many others ; 
with a large number of somewhat smaller streams. 
Banana, which is situated on a promontory at the 
mouth of the river, is a place of considerable import- 
ance, as the headquarters of many trading companies. 
The languages of nearly all civilized nations may be 
heard here. To this may be added the mysterious 
nasal jargon of many natives from all parts of the 
west coast. The Dutch have a large factory here, 
employing thirty to forty white men, and several 
hundred natives. There are also Portuguese, Spanish, 
French, German, and English houses, all of which 
employ a goodly number of men. A difference of 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 27 

opinion exists as to the healthful ness of Banana, com- 
pared with otlier parts of the Congo. Some consider 
that there is more malaria there than farther up the 
river. Others declare that they enjoy fairly good 
health there. Statistics as to the mortality of white 
men at Banana are unsatisfactory, many having died 
from preventable causes. In 1882 one missionary 
died at Banana, Mr. W. Appel. He sailed in May, 
arrived in June, and died in July. At the time it 
was believed that his death was due to over exertion. 
How far that is correct, I cannot say. Some white 
traders have lived there for eight, ten, and twelve 
years at one time. Mr. Phillips, of the English house, 
has lived there for ten years without intermission. 
Banana is not a town, as there are no streets. It is 
simply made up of trading houses, and the promon- 
tory upon which it is situated is narrow and largely 
artificial. On one side is the Atlantic Ocean, and on 
the other is a large creek, which empties into the 
Congo. I have been puzzled to know why it was 
called Banana, for there are no bananas growing any- 
where near. 

When I arrived I was unexpectedly met by repre- 



28 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

sentatives from the Dutch house, aud by a brother 
missionary. I was glad and sorry to leave the ^^Kin- 
sembo.^^ Glad, because I had reached Banana. Sorry, 
because, having been on board forty-three days, I had 
a feeling of attachment for the steamer and for the 
officers. The officials of the Dutch house were very 
kind to us, and placed a room, such as it was, at our 
disposal. At seven in the evening I sat down with 
about thirty white men to a meal called in Portu- 
guese, "jantar,^^ or dinner. It was served in a large 
room, which was open on three sides, thus aiFording a 
refreshing breeze from the Atlantic. Other meals 
are served at 7 A. M., ^' caf6;'^ and at 11 A. M., *^almo§o,'^ 
or breakfast. I was tired, and glad to get to bed at 
nine, and spend my first night in Africa, during which 
mosquitoes and fleas gave me a warm reception. In 
the morning I discovered that a dishonest rat had 
actually attempted to carry off one of my boots. 
Failing in that, he ate the tongue of one. I found 
the boot across the rat hole in a corner of my room. 
What a thief! The next mornins: found me asrain on 
board the '' Kinsembo,^^ trying to get my few boxes 
and bales on shore. This was by no means an easy task. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 29 

but by a little planning and coaxing we managed it. 
My brother missionary, Mr. Banks, brought our boat, 
" The Moffat,^' from Mukimvika, with a crew of na- 
tives, to ply the oars and to handle my stuff. What 
a jolly fellow Banks was ! How the natives enjoyed 
his society ! These Mukimvika men, like all Congo 
natives, have a great sense of humor. Any joke or 
funny remark that comes within the range of their 
ideas is irresistible. They are not dull of comprehen- 
sion and can readily see a point. I found the gentle- 
men at the Dutch house very courteous and hospitable. 
At the table there was a perfect Babel of tongues, 
thoughts being exchanged in English, French, Dutch, 
Portuguese and Ki-kongo. Each white man keeps a 
boy to wait upon him at the table, and these little 
fellows have usually a smattering of one or two 
languages besides their own. I discovered, however, 
that few of the boys understood English. Happily, 
I had prepared a very limited vocabulary of Portu- 
guese and Ki-kongo. I thought it sounded so queer 
for me, a Welsh-English-American, to ask in Portu- 
guese, ^^ Da me agua'^ (give me water); or ^^Nzolele 
nlangu '' (I want water) in Ki-kongo. 



30 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

In the tropics, the days being short, supper is eaten 
by lamp light. After spending one or more nights 
in the guests' room, rather exposed to the vicious attacks 
of mosquitoes, I awoke with a fearful headache, and a 
feverish pulse. It was Sunday morning, bright and 
beautiful. At Banana, there is little labor performed on 
the Lord's Day; the white men visit each other, while 
the natives rest and lounge about. Though it is the 
Lord's Day, it is not observed as such, for there is 
probably more sin committed on that day than on any 
other. Banana is about equally divided between Satan 
and Jesuit priests. A hotel has recently been built 
by the Dutch Trading Company, which is situated 
right on the promontory, and is a most convenient 
stopping place for Congo travelers while waiting for 
the up river or ocean steamers. The charges are 
high — about three dollars and fifty cents per day — 
but the food and accommodation are good. When I 
sojourned there, the chief was a Spaniard ; the sub- 
chief was a Portuguese, while Loango boys acted as 
cooks and waiters. 

As may be expected, spirituous liquors are sold 
in this hotel, and there is also a billiard table. Here, 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 31 

on Sunday afternoons, white men of all nationalities 
almost^ meet to drink, to play billiards, or to dance. 
Thus they keep the Lord^s Day, and the colored em- 
ployes are at the same hour enjoying themselves on the 
sea beach, in the surf, or beneath the shade of palm trees 
in the grove, drinking fermented palm wine, or some- 
thing stronger, and more destructive. It is extremely 
difficult to get a substantial hold of these poor natives^ 
because of contact with the grossest elements of civiliza- 
tion. Deaths are frequent among them, but still they 
pursue their course of sin. 

One can not but have a feeling of sympathy for the 
traders here and elsewhere on the African rivers, who 
are so isolated and cut off from all good influences. 
Our conversation with at least one trader at Banana 
was most interesting. Do they in the midst of their 
hilarity, or in moments of reflection, ever think of 
death, of God, or judgment, or eternity? Let ns 
hope some do. More than once during our visits to 
the coast, w^e have seen the flags at the various estab- 
lishments, flying at half mast — another death ; another 
soul gone from the Banana trading houses, to give 
an account of the deeds done in the body. 



CHAPTER III. 

STEAMSHIP HERON— CHANGE OF DIET— MUKIMVIKA — PONTA DA 
LENHA— FETICH ROCK — BOMA — JOCKO— TUNDUA. 

EARLY on Sunday morning it was reported that 
the steamship ^' Heron '^ would shortly leave for 
up the river. Mr. Banks and I proceeded to make 
inquiries. At the offices of the Congo Free State we 
met an official of whom we asked : 

^' Does the ^ Heron ^ leave to-day ? '^ 

" She will leave this morning.'^ 

" How far will she go ? " 

" To Matadi." 

This place was one hundred and ten miles from the 
coast, and ten miles from Palabala, our objective 
point. 

^•' Can you favor us with passage ? ^' 

" Well, we will try and accommodate you, gentle- 



" Many thanks. Our boys will at once get our 

ets 
32 



blankets and a few other things.'^ 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 33 

Our time was limited, so we made haste to secure a 
few articles, leaving most of our baggage behind. 
We did not forget to provide a little for the wants of 
the body. I obtained one dozen oranges while at 
Kabenda, while Mr. Banks opened a case of provisions 
and took a tin of biscuits. 

With the oranges and biscuits and a little of the 
Congo water, we felt we would not suffer seriously for 
a day or two. This was a rather severe change to me, 
having fared so well on board the '^ Kinsembo.'^ How- 
ever, it prepared me in a measure for other and more 
severe experiences. 

The " Heron '^ was a small river steamer, with light 
draught. In order to give meagre accommodations 
to each, we were stowed away very snugly on the 
small deck around the wheel, while an awning of 
woodwork protected us from the pitiless rays of a 
burning sun. A Scotchman was at the engines and a 
native at the wheel. The man at the wheel, not 
being quite familiar with the duties of a helmsman 
and pilot, needed the constant attention of the cap- 
tain, who supplemented his instructions and warnings 
with frequent blows. 



34 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

At 10 A. M. we steamed out of Banana creek and 
steered right for Balambemba Point. Navigation is 
dijBBcult on many parts of the river, owing to the 
strong currents and whirlpools that have to be avoided. 
We soon sighted Mukimvika Station. This Mission 
Station of the American Baptist Missionary Union, 
" beautiful for situation/^ is on rising ground, but 
ten minutes walk from the nearest part of the river, 
and about fifteen miles from Banana. One of 
the chiefs here is known as King Plenty. The 
surroundings of this station are almost like an Eng- 
lish park. It is in Portuguese territory. A great 
part of the land near Mukimvika is intersected by 
creeks, some of them so narrow and winding, and 
almost covered by the overhanging vegetation, that 
boats must be carefully steered. Tliis is the home of 
the mangrove tree. When the tide ebbs, the black 
muddy roots of the mangroves are exposed to view, 
thereby diffusing an odor none of the pleasantest or 
most healthful. Mukimvika is a noted place for par- 
rots. The natives are very expert in climbing trees and 
catching the young birds. These they take to Banana 
and sell to traders and travelers. They usually cost 




Life and Sceius in Congo, 



A Ma NG HOVE. 



i'ii^^- 31. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 35 

about one dollar and a quarter each, and more if it 
can be gotten. The money thus obtained is con- 
verted into necklaces or other ornaments, but is rarely- 
used as a currency. The natives prefer English 
money to French or Portuguese. 

Elephants' tails were formerly in great demand in 
this district — L e., the hairs* or bristles that form the 
end of the tail. One or more of them hung around 
the neck was believed to act as a charm, and is 
regarded as a thing of beauty. Some years ago, a 
fowl could be purchased for one of these hairs. The 
creeks near Mukimvika are infested with crocodiles, 
and it is unsafe to bathe. One little boy who was in 
our mission went with others down to the creek, 
probably to swim, for the children are so fearless. 
In this creek were many large crocodiles, or, as a 
native would say, "Ziugandu zazinene zazingi." The 
boy was seized by one of these reptiles, and never 
afterward seen. 

Passing Mukimvika, we soon sighted Bull Island 
and Kisanga and Scotchman Head, where the river 
takes a sharp turn to the east. The scenery along the 
banks is worthy of all admiration, and I would that 




36 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

my readers could take just one glance at the Congo by 
Kisanga. The graceful palms overhanging the water; 
the dense jungles of mangroves^ with their many 
huge roots visible several feet above the earth ; the 
huge baobab with its unsightly and uneven trunk; 
the tree ferns, and the numerous delicate creepers, 
crowned by the creeping palm, wdth its bunches of 
beautiful scarlet dates — all tell of the rich tropical 
vegetation. 

After steering past numerous low sandy islands, 
we made for Ponta Da Lenha, which is about twenty- 
five miles from Banana. Here there is an English 
trading house, as also those of the Dutch and French. 
These houses are almost enclosed by tall trees and 
impenetrable tropical vegetation. The whole neigh- 
borhood consists of endless winding creeks, bam- 
boo swamps, and dense forests. Leaving Ponta Da 
Lenha, we continued our voyage. At 4 p. M. we 
passed Fetich Rock, a point of interest to all travelers a I 
up the Congo. It is a high ledge of rocks jutting far 
out into the river on the south bank. The river at 
this point is deep and the current swift, and years ago flj 
lives were sacrificed at this rock. Natives assembled 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 37 

in great numbers from the surrounding districts, and 
after going through painful and foolish ceremonies, 
the poor victims were thrown from the rock into the 
Congo, thus terminating their sufferings. Many of 
these were half dead before their awful plunge into 
the river, while crocodiles were invariably near enough 
to seize them as they fell. The presence of traders 
in the neighborhood, and the frequent passing of 
steamers up and down the river, has contributed to 
the discontinuance of this most inhuman practice. 

In 1885, the steamship "Ville du Antwerp ^^ was 
lost at Fetich Rock. If I remember rightly. Sir 
Francis de Winton and one or two other white men, 
together with a number of natives, were on board. 
While passing this point, the ship struck a hidden 
rock, and went down very quickly. The white men 
and a few of the natives were saved, but several Kru 
boys were drowned. 

It was 6.45 p. M., when our little steamer, the 
"Heron,^' drew up alongside the landing stage at 
Boma. Here we engaged several natives to carry our 
stuff to the Dutch liouse, where we were to spend the 
night. It was now quite dark. The day had been 



38 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

long and warm, and even our biscuits and oranges did 
not seem to afford complete satisfaction, for we reached 
Boma tired and huno:rv, Boma has a number of 
traders' establishments, and almost every nation is 
represented here as well as at Banana. Boma is also 
the headquarters of the Congo Free State. This gives 
to this otherwise insignificant place an air of official 
importance. There is a sanatarium here for the bene- 
fit of the Congo Free State officials, and it is the offi- 
cial residence of the governor of the Congo. This 
office was first filled by Mr. H. M. Stanley, then by 
Sir Francis de Winton. Latterly, King Leopold of 
Belgium has conferred the governorship upon Bel- 
gian officers. 

Mr. Caseman, one of the Free State officials, came 
with us from Banana, who had with him a large speci- 
men of the chimpanzee, which was captured on the 
West coast of Africa. As I looked at him quietly 
munching some food, I thought I would not like to 
engage in an encounter with a full-grown specimen, in 
the forests of his native home. On the banks of the 
Congo, and in the forest, I frequently saw many small 
specimens of the monkey tribe. At least one gorilla 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 39 

has been captured on the Congo. These are more 
dangerous than the chimpanzee^ but happily they are 
very seldom seen, as one would not care to make their 
personal acquaintance, unless they were behind the 
bars of a cage. 

At eight o'clock in the morning we again embarked, 
and this time were joined by a French Jesuit priest 
from Boma, where there is a Jesuit mission. On our 
way to Matadi, we passed various trading posts, Noki, 
Masuka, etc. Near to Matadi the river makes 
another sharp turn to the east, and navigation is very 
difficult at this point. No one who has ever passed 
Tundua will forget the seething, boiling, rushing 
water, pushing its way to the sea with irresistible 
force, while on either side the hills rise to a height of 
several hundred feet. The depth of the river around 
the bend is nine hundred feet, and steamers are com- 
pelled to put on high pressure in order to struggle 
through these strong waters. Even then they have 
frequently to back down and try again. In 1885, a 
large man-of-war steamer came up past Tundua as far 
as Vivi, several miles beyond. In rounding the point 
she nearly went over on her beam ends. The com- 



40 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 



mander and others on board were greatly alarmed, 
but after considerable manoeuvering she got past the 
point of strongest resistance. 

The steamship ^^ Heron ^^ went through it right nobly, 
though, at one time, it seemed as if we could never 
push through the strong current. The little engine, 
like a thing of life, exerted itself to its utmost, mak- 
ing the waters hiss and seethe, and raising a perfect 
whirlpool astern, and in half an hour we were past 
Tundua Point. 



U 



CHAPTER IV. 

MATADI — THE HILL DIFFICULTY — UNDERHILL STATION — ON THB 
MARCH— TRADERS AND DRINK— PALABALA. 

TUST before we arrived at Tundua Point, we sighted 
a boat, with a white man in it. 

"Hallo/' said Banks, "there's the E. B. M. boat" ; 
which means the English Baptist Mission boat. We 
were anxious to get a boat to bring us from Matadi to 
the English Baptist Mission House, where we were to 
spend the night. The mission house is situated on 
the summit of the Tundua hill, and commands a 
magnificent view of the river. 

The Rev. Mr. Moolenar and several natives were 
in the boat, and our signal was seen and replied to. 

Soon after our arrival at Matadi, the priest departed 
down river in a canoe, while Mr. Banks and myself 
were cared for by Mr. Moolenar. In passing the 
point once more, we kept close to the shore to avoid 
the strong water. Of course, we were objects of inter- 
est to the Loanga boys who handled the oars. Might 

41 



42 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

not the white men bless them with a '^ dash ^^ of cloth, 
or something in the shape of food ? There is a path 
leading right from the water up to the mission; so, 
immediately after disembarking, we commenced the 
trying ascent. 

Happily, the sun was sinking into the western sky, 
so that its burning rays no longer poured down upon 
us, and the Loango boys did us good service by carry- 
ing our few things up the ascent. We found loco- 
motion very trying, however, without the addition 
of a load. As we struggled upward, I thought 
of Beattie's lines : 

"Ah, who can tell, how hard it is to climb 
The steep, where Fame's proud temple shines afar/' 

I thought of Banyan's ^^Hill Difficulty^'; I 

thought of Longfellow's "Excelsior." Our objective 

point, however, was not a temple of fame, but a mission 

house. The location of this English Baptist Mission, 

is a fine one, affording a splendid view up and down the 

river for many miles. When representatives of the 

Baptist Missionary Society first established themselves, 

they built at the foot of the hill, since it was more 

convenient to the river. Afterward, a new hous 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 43 

complete was sent out from England and erected near 
the summit. It is called Underbill Station, not 
because it was originally at tbe foot of tbe bill, but in 
bonor of Dr. Underbill of London. 

Tbis mission bouse is tbe most substantial and com- 
fortable of any in Congo. It is built on pillars on ac- 
count of tbe wbite ants, and a good veranda all round 
affords a grateful sbade. It is reacbed from tbe gar- 
den patb by broad iron steps. Tbe garden is w^ell 
laid out. Paw-paw, lime, and orange trees are planted 
tbere, and it also furnisbes a goodly supply of vege- 
tables. 

Not far from tbe station tbere is a little plot of 
land fenced in as a cemetery, in wbicb lie tbe remains 
of several young missionaries. Some of tbese were 
called to a bigher service before tbey even commenced 
active service in tbe land of tbeir adoption. In eacb 
case, I believe, fever was tbe immediate cause of deatb. 
Tliey left England, fitted, as tbey tbougbt, for a term 
of service for tbe Master in Congo-land. "Yet tbeir 
pilgrimage was shorter, and their trials sooner done.'^ 
The brethren at tbis mission, Moolenar and Char- 
ters, gave us a very kindly welcome. 



44 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

In the morning Mr. Banks and I prepared to depart, 
but both of our brethren had contracted fever, and 
were unable to rise, so Banks and I got things in readi- 
ness for the march to Palabala, a distance of eight to 
ten miles. 

At 7.30 we were ready for the road, and a sorry- 
road it proved to be. The "njila^^ (road) in Congo is 
but a narrow pathway, affording sufficient room for 
one person only ; two can seldom travel abreast. I 
was properly equipped for traveling; my trousers 
were light, and my stockings were drawn up over them. 
I wore no vest, and no coat. A pith helmet, and 
white umbrella with green lining protected me from 
the sun, while each of us carried a long bamboo stick 
to assist us in climbing the hills. Our Loango boys 
were in good spirits; the march was to be a short 
one — at Palabala they expected to receive their reward, 
or "dash/' 

Mr. Banks was a powerful man, and stepped out in 
fine style. Some carriers were in front and some 
behind, but all were marching single file. Seeing it 
was my first marching experience in Africa, we 
perhaps walked faster than we should have done 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 45 

under such a sun. However^ I kept in Mr. Bank's 
tracks all the way, and could have taken the lead at 
any time. In about an hour and a half we began to 
descend a precipitous, rocky hill, at the foot of which 
is the valley along which flows the ^'Nzadi a Mpoza,'' 
or river of shade. This is a little more than half 
way from Uuderhill to Palabala, and is moderately 
deep and swift, the services of a ferryman being 
constantly necessary. A large number of caravans 
from up country cross the river Mpozo at this point, 
and Chief Kangampaka, of Palabala, derived a good 
revenue from the toll exacted from travelers and 
caravans. The canoes belonged to Kangampaka, 
while the ferryman was either a slave of the old chief, 
or one of his subjects. In either case, he was com- 
pelled to work for very small pay. From the Mpozo, 
roads lead in various directions to trading houses on 
the Congo. Some of the unprincipled traders have 
discovered that it pays to plant men who are well 
supplied with bottles of horrid stuff called rum, or 
gin, right at the Mpozo, to meet caravans coming 
down country, and, if possible, to intercept them. 
With this rum they can decoy the guileless native, 



46 LIFE A:ND scenes in CONGO. 

and lead him and his ivory to their master's establish- 
ment. 

As we approached the river, through the tall grass, 
our men, with tlieir sharp eyes, discovered that the 
canoe was on the other side. The ferryman was 
some distance away in his little hut, enjoying liimself ; 
so our men, to save time, began shouting: "E tuala 
e nlungu e. — Tu zolele viokele nsualu e.'' Translated 
into the language of English-speaking boys and girls, 
that would be, '^ Bring the canoe; we want to cross in 
haste.'' 

Presently their sliouts received a reply from the 
ferryman, who appeared through the doorless hut, and 
made for his canoe, or ^^ nlungu." 

"Nkwizanga kwami" (I am coming). 

The canoe was speedily transferred to our side of 
the river, and Mr. Banks and myself stepped into it. 

This canoe was simply a tree hollowed out by 
chipping and burning, and the trunk from which it was 
made was not quite straight. These canoes have to 
be evenly balanced, and are by no means safe. The 
natives are so familiar with water, and with their 
canoes, that they scarcely know what fear means; 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 47 

besides, they swim like fishes, so that the only danger 
to them from an upturned canoe would be "zingandu,^' 
or crocodiles. 

When we were properly stowed away in the canoe, 
our ferryman began to pull up the stream for some 
distance; then, with the prow of the canoe still point- 
ing up stream, he began to pull across. Crocodiles 
are found up and down this river, and this did not 
increase our complacency. 

Palabala is situated on a fine plateau, fully sixteen 
hundred feet above sea level. It is about one hun- 
dred and twenty miles from the mouth of the Congo, 
and ten miles from the south bank. Some of my 
readers doubtless know that there is a large cataract 
some few miles above Matadi — the Yelala Falls; 
and hence the lower river is navigable only to this 
point. Yelala Falls is the first of a series of cata- 
racts and rapids, extending inland for a distance of 
two hundred and thirty miles, or as far as Leopold- 
ville or Stanley Pool. Portions of the river between 
these cataracts and rapids are navigable, but, on the 
whole, the river between Matadi and Leopoldville is 
unsafe. 



48 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

In a few minutes Banks and I reached the Pala- 
bala side of the Mpozo river, and immediately pre- 
pared ourselves for'another stiff climb up the Pala- 
bala plateau. The sun was becoming warm, but we 
w^ere in good spirits, and with our thin walking boots, 
stepped nimbly along. Here, let me say, Stanley ad- 
vises all travelers in the tropics to wear moderately 
heavy laced boots, with thick soles. My experience 
taught me somewhat to the contrary. I found a light 
cricket boot with canvas uppers far more comfortable 
and less wearisome than a heavy laced leather boot. 

In addition to the regular toll exacted by Kangam- 
paka, our ferryman received a smnli " dash " for his 
ready service. As we moved from the river, our 
friend shouted : '' Wenda kabiza.^^ To which we re- 
plied : " Sala kabiza." 

These are Congo expressions used at parting, and 
are about equivalent to : " Go in good condition ;" 
'•'Stay in good condition.'^ 

There are at least two roads leading from the Mpozo 
ferry to Palabala. The one passes through a town 
of considerable size, while the other avoids the towns 
and most of the native houses, and winds through 



II 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 49 

a more sequestered district. On the former road, the 
ascent to the Palabala plateau is more gradual than 
aloug the other, and it is also longer and more circui- 
tous. We chose the shorter path. Some parts of this 
road are fairly good, but it is severe climbing for the 
most part, and huge rocks and boulders lie in the 
path. We tried to avoid the sharp, jagged edges of 
the one and the smooth, slippery surface of the other. 

Mr. Banks and I were trudging along right on the 
heels of our carriers, and we frequently shouted to 
them : " O zingambu, diata nsualu, nsualu ^^ (O 
workman, walk quickly, quickly). 

This would tickle them immensely, for they prob- 
ably thought that they were stepping along nimbly 
enough, and indeed they were. They seemed, how- 
ever, to conjecture that we wanted to reach our des- 
tination as soon as possible. 

" Oh, the white man has come away from ^ Ku'- 
mputu,' and he wants to see his friends at Palabala. 
Let us quickly walk, that he may get there before the 
sun will be right over us. He will then rejoice, and 
we may get small dash.'' 

In some such talk they beguiled the monotony of 



50 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

the short march. "Ku^mputu" means the foreign 
land. And "dash^^ means a present, and is com- 
monly used all along the west coast. 

When half way to Palabala, on the hillside, Mr. 
Banks suggested a temporary halt, and I willingly 
consented. Both of us were parched with thirst, but 
for a time, could not find a drop of water to remove 
that thirst. A few of my oranges yet remained, and 
never did oranges taste so sweet as those we ate on 
the Palabala hillside, under the imperfect shade of a 
small scrubby tree. After some searching, we did 
discover water, in a torrent bed or summer stream. 
It was a small pool not yet dried up, rank with vege- 
table matter, and well warmed by the sun. Ordi- 
narily, my stomach would reject such vile stuff, but 
now my thirst was severe. The sight of such a pool 
as this would rejoice the heart of many a traveler in 
the deserts of Africa. 

We sipped cautiously and sparingly, as no oneji 
could tell how much insect life was in each drop. 
All stagnant water in the tropics must teem there- 
with. 



CHAPTER V. 

SUPERSTITION — VERY INATTENTIVE — NGANGA — IDOLS AND 
CHARMS — BULLET PROOF — STONE OF THE EARTH — NKASA. 

AFTER a long, tedious journey from Wyoming 
Territory to Boston, a voyage from New York 
to Glasgow, another voyage from Liverpool to Banana 
and Matadi ; thence overland to Palabala — how re- 
freshing it was to sit down at the mission station to 
rest awhile ! Here in the very good society of several 
brethren I remained for a month. There are about 
thirty boys and girls living at this station, and each 
night at eight they met for prayers. One of the 
brethren would read the Scriptures in the Ki-kongo 
language, and pray in the same tongue. The children 
themselves would unite very heartily in singing some 
translations of Sankey's hymns. One little fellow, 
whose heart the Lord had touched, could scarcely sing 
at all. He had the sleeping sickness, and as I looked 
at him, while the other children were singing '^ Yim- 

bilanga kiesi, kiesi '^ (Singing glory, glory), I thought, 

61 



52 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

he will soon be ia that other and better laud, " sing- 
ing glory, glory/^ Not long afterward, little Johnny 
was called away, to sing, I believe, around the throne 
of God in heaven. This little boy, like the others, 
had been rescued from heathenism, and clothed, and 
fed — better still, had been told of the love of God 
through Christ Jesus our Lord. 

In wandering around, I found evidences of super- 
stition on every hand. At the entrance to every town, 
there is generally a kind of mound or structure which 
is intended to keep the " Ndoki '^ (evil spirit) away. 
It is very certain from the frequent ^^ palavers,'^ that 
he is not kept away. I frequently noticed a small 
branch of a tree, tied near a doorway or in the en- 
trance to their houses. The purpose of this is to keep 
away ^^yevi,'^ or thieves. I have noticed that they 
knot the grass near their sweet potato patches, and this 
is likewise a protection against thieves. The entrance 
to each house was also guarded by a number of '^miu- 
kisi,^^ or idols. 

So great was the superstition in some towns, that I 
could not take out my pocket book to make notes, 
without exciting the suspicion of the people. It is 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 53 

also a common practice to kill a fowl, and to scatter 
its blood and feathers on and across the chief path- 
ways leading to the towns. This again is to prevent 
the admission of evil. From inquiries made, I fail 
to discover any reasonable explanation for this, and 
it has probably no connection whatever with the pass- 
over and the sprinkling of blood. Having no litera- 
ture of any kind, their traditional records are of ques- 
tionable value and authenticity ; for their statements 
of events that took place not more ftian a generation 
ago are confused and unreliable. 

One Sunday I accompanied Mr. Banks into a native 
village, where he tried to hold the attention of the peo- 
ple for a while in telling them of Jesus and his love. 
One man was interested in me, and with little regard for 
the preacher, pointed to my whiskers, and exclaimed : 
" What fine, long whiskers he has got ! ^^ Another, 
observing my spectacles, remarked: ^^See! they are 
tied with a string. If they fall, they will not be 
broken.'^ A third person, a great tall fellow, was 
busily sharpening a huge knife, and presently took 
himself off to tap palm trees. 

One of our missionaries had occasion to visit a town 



54 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

in which there was a sick child, and while there a 
" uganga/^ or witch doctor, came to him. The 
'^ nganga ^^ had a large bunch of shells behind his 
head, and said they would give him power to catch 
the devil and kill him. My friend asked him : 

^^Did you ever see the devil ?" 

"Ve^^(No). 

"Can any one see him?'' 

" No, white man." 

" Then how can you kill him ? Your fetich is non- 
sense; your shells have no power, and you only do 
these things to get cloth and frighten the people." 

"I can kill men with these charms." 

"Kill me, then." 

"Oh, you are a white man." 

"I am the same as you, and if you cannot kill me, 
you can kill no one." 

The "nganga" took himself off, looking very 
sheepish. 

" Their land is full of idols " may be said of Con- 
go, or rather of that part of it known as the Cataract 
region and the Lower Congo. Fetichism and super- 
stition prevail, not only on the Lower Congo, but all 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 55 

along the west coast of Africa. So far as the Congo 
country, is known, however, idols, or " minkisi,^^ are 
confined to the Cataract region. The natives who live 
near the coast have more ^^ charms ^^ than those who 
live in the interior. How are we to account for this ? 
We firmly believe that the Roman Catholics, who, 
three hundred years ago, planted their standard on 
the lower river, are largely responsible for the intro- 
duction of idols. 

Mr. Grenfell says : ^^So far back as the close of the 
sixteenth century, San Salvador, the capital of the 
kingdom of Congo was a walled city and could boast 
of its cathedral and seven other churches. It was the 
see of a bishop (at one time filled by a native), and 
till the middle of the seventeenth century the rites of 
the Roman Catholic Church were regularly maintained. 
So far back as two hundred and thirty years ago, the 
country was partially civilized, and had become nomi- 
nally Christian. But after the transference of the see 
to St. Paul de Loando, and after the removal of the mili- 
tary force of the Portuguese government, the churches 
fell into ruins, and people lapsed into barbarism ; for, 
while the rites of the Roman Catholic Church are well 



56 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

calculated to appeal to the native mind, they very 
evidently fail to accomplish the real changes of heart 
and life which characterize a vital Christianity/' 

Some years ago, a Jesuit missionary presented a 
little crucifix to a Congo chief. This crucifix was 
afterward exhibited in great glee to a Protestant 
missionary. 

" What is that ? '^ asked the missionary. 

"An ' nkisi/ white man." 

" Where did you obtain it ? " 

"A white man gave it to me.'' 

And so the chief rejoiced in the addition to his 
idols. Whatever instruction the Jesuit missionary 
gave the chief respecting the crucifix was forgotten. 
The idol alone remained. There do remain traces of 
the Roman Church, but not a trace of good. Is there 
not an evident connection between the images and 
crucifixes introduced in the Lower Congo three hun- 
dred years ago and the fetich idols so highly prized 
by the unenlightened Congo native? Would not the 
superstitious native be only too ready to appropriate 
this new form of fetichism ? Why are idols so nu- 
merou3 on thie lower river, an4 so seldom found on 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 57 

the upper river? Mr. McKittick, who lived at our 
Equator station, and where I lived six months, says : 
"The word ^ nkisi ' (idol) on the lower river means 
^ dumb ^ among these people. It is my firm belief 
that they had no idols in the Cataract region previous 
to the introduction of Roman Catholicism. I have 
never yet met with one anywhere in the interior, and, 
after making inquiries, cannot find a trace of any.'^ 

Be that as it may, there are many fetich idols on the 
lower river. Unlike the natives of some heathen 
lands, the Congo people do not worship their idols, nor 
do they, so far as I am aware, ever pray to them. 
They are really not objects of worship, but are used 
as charms, as means of protection in time of danger, 
and to ward off evil spirits. Some instances of the 
absurd superstition of the Congo natives may well 
provoke a smile. 

A native of the Cataract region said to a friend of 
mine : 

" This ' nkisi,^ white man, will protect me from the 
guns of my enemies." 

" Where did you get it ? " 

" From the ^ nganga.^ " 



58 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

" Do you always carry it with you ? " 

'' Yes. If I have an enemy who wishes to shoot 
me, he cannot injure me while I carry my ^nkisi.^*^ 

" Where do you carry it ? ^^ 

'' Here on my breast.'^ 

'' See here ; I will show you that it cannot protect 
you from my rifle. Look here; I will give you these 
^ malensua ^ (handkerchiefs) if you will consent to stand 
twenty yards away, and allow me to fire at your breast, 
while it is covered by your ' nkisi.' ^^ The native cast a 
greedy glance at the bright-colored handkerchiefs, but 
refused to face the white man's gun, although he still 
insisted that his *^ nkisi '' would render his swarthy 
breast bullet proof. 

Another kind of idol used by these deluded people, 
is called ^' nzadi a nsi,'' or stone of the earth. It is 
of two parts, composed of one small idol and a wooden 
rattle. In the hands of the witch doctor, or ^^ nganga,'' 
it is thought to be of great value. I once obtained 
one, and desired a converted native to tell me all about 
it, together with several others. I asked : 

" What is the purpose of this ^nkisi'?" 

'^ I will tell you. When any one is accused of caus- 



LIFE ANT) SCENES IN CONGO. 59 

ing the death of any person, it is believed that this 
^nzadi a nsi^ will enable them to find out the guilty 
person.'^ 

'' In what way ? These are only two pieces of wood.'^ 
"The ^nganga^ will call all the people together.^ 
They will stand in a circle, while the ' nganga' walks 
around and looks into the face of each person, at the 
same time shaking the rattle and holding the small 
idol close to his ear. After awhile he selects his victim, 
and pretends that the idol spoke in his ear, and told 
him of the guilty person.'^ 

" But do the people believe all this ? '^ 
" Most of them have believed in the power of the 
' nganga' ; but now the ^mindele mia Nzambi' (white 
men of God) are here, many will listen to the words 
of the white man.'^ 

" But surely the ^ nganga' do not believe in all this ; 
they surely know better ? '^ 

" They do know it is wrong, but they do it to get 
plenty of cloth. '^ 

"Did you believe in the ^ nzadi a nsi ' ? " 

" I did before the white man of God came.'^ 

" Do you still believe the ^ nganga ' has any power ?'' 



60 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

" No ; he is false and knows better.'^ 

The persons selected by the " nganga ^^ in such cases, 
are generally those who have accumulated a little cloth, 
or it may be some one against whom he has a grudge, 
/3r it may be some infirm woman, who is no longer able 
to till the soil, to plant peanuts, or to make " kwanga.'^ 

Those who are pointed out by the " nganga-ngombo,'^ 
or witch doctor, as criminals, have to submit to the 
final test of drinking "nkasa '^ (poison). This they are 
always willing to do. They know they are innocent, 
and believe that therefore they will not suffer. Others 
may have suffered great agony and died, but, of course, 
they were guilty. Many of the natives will not admit 
that it is a poison, although it is a rank poison. 

If a person takes '^ nkasa ^^ and escapes, he is greatly 
honored. The " nganga '^ can regulate the quantity and 
the quality of the '' nkasa.'^ That is, he can, if he 
choose, give a small quantity, well diluted, so that the 
person may vomit and recover, or he may give so large 
a quantity of the strong poison as to make recovery 
impossible. 

If time be given to the condemned one, he will usu- 
ally fast, so as to be in a better condition to vomit 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 61 

after taking the poison. At least, it is their opinion 
that an empty stomach is favorable to the rejection of 
the poison. It very frequently proves fatal. 

No word of sympathy reaches the ear of the dying 
one, but taunts and jeers are heard on every side. 
They mimic the contortions produced by the sufferer 
in the agonies of death. They challenge him to stand 
upon his feet. It is to them a time of fiendish pleas- 
ure, though they know not how soon one of them- 
selves may be called to drink the fatal cup. 

"Ha, if you are not ^ndoki' (possessed of a devil), 
stand up.'^ 

" Why do you not speak if you are innocent?'^ 

Sometimes they terminate the sufferings of the dying 
one by throwing him into the fir*, by strangling, by 
drowning, or with the knife. 



CHAPTER VI. 

KANGA MPAKA — ORNAMENTS ON THE GRAVES — EMBALMING HIS 
BODY — " HOLELY " ORNAMENTS— ^IS IT WRONG TO STEAL — CAN 
HE SEE SPIRITS? 

TN the early history of the mission, one of our 
-*- brethren had an amusing little experience at 
Palabala. The chief of the town, old Kanga Mpaka, 
had been very encroaching for some time. One day 
he came around, and after taking the cloth due as 
wages for two boys who worked at the station, he 
wanted some for a little girl named Ikwangu. This 
little girl was not only very young, and unable to do 
anything, but had also a frightful ulcer on her right 
foot, which seemed to defy all medical treatment. The 
poor little girl had been, of course, nothing but an 
expense to the mission. He also wanted cloth for 
Frank, a boy about eight, and also ^^chop'' for him- 
self. That is, he wanted to be clothed and fed at the 
expense of the mission. Our missionary pretended to 
be quite out of patience with him. Old Kanga 

Mpaka kept very cool and silent, and after awhile 
62 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 63 

left. Next morning the little girl was sent for to 
leave tiie station and go home, which she did, and 
shortly afterward a whole gang of " kapitas'^ came and 
wanted to know wdiy the missionary had accused the 
king of stealing, and what he had stolen. Our mis- 
sionary was completely mystified and asked them to 
explain. It appears that he had rapped the table sev- 
eral times with his knuckles while remonstrating with 
the old chief, and this, to the mind of the Ki-kongo 
native, was an accusation of theft. With some diffi- 
culty our friend persuaded the " kapitas^^ of his inno- 
cence, and a cup of coffee all round put the matter all 
right. A " dash ^^ to the old king smoothed things 
over, and he was soon on good terms again. 

In some parts of Africa they bury their dead 
beneath the floor of the native hut, but in Congo 
they generally bury them in some secluded part 
of the jungle, and near to their town. As a rule, 
however, they do not bury them for a good w^hile, but 
they are kept for a considerable period. Of course, 
the length of time their bodies are preserved unburied 
depends upon the rank and position they held. An 
ordinary, poor individual, might not be kept more 



64 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

than a week or two, whereas the body of a chief is 
commonly preserved for a year. Old Kanga Mpaka, of 
Palabala, died in 1886. His body was preserved for 
many months. During his lifetime, the old man had 
accumulated much cloth and other riches. He had also 
about twelve wives, and was considered quite an import- 
ant chief or king. His death caused great commotion. 
One thousand guns were fired, and five or six huge ivory 
horns were blown vigorously in token of mourning 
for the dead chief. His poor old body was embalmed, 
or, more properly speaking, it was smoked in one of 
his huts. A large quantity of the cloth he had accumu-. 
lated was wrapped around the corpse. It was then sus 
pended by cords to the roof of the hut. A slow fire 
was constantly kept burning underneath, until thej 
body was shriveled and dried up. 

The wives sat in this hut for a part of the time,! 
mourning and lamenting their loss. After keeping! 
his corpse for a long time, it was buried with great 
honor and ceremony and firing of guns. About a 
year before he died, his successor was formally recog- 
nized, at which ceremony I happened to be present. 
This ceremony of appointing and acknowledging his 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 65 

successor occupied some time, and took place in front 
of the king s " lumbu" (king's house), in the midst of 
a drizzh'ng rain. 

On this occasion, palm wine and other intoxicants, 
alas ! were not wanting, and several neighboring chiefs, 
by their peculiar yelling and dancing, gave evidence 
that they were not quite sober. 

Poor old Kanga Mpaka. Cunning, shrewd, old 
fellow, he had often heard the gospel in his old age, 
but rejected it, and died as he lived, without God and 
without hope. I think I can see his knavish look as 
he visited the mission to open up some palaver or dis- 
pute. His attitude was most striking, as, with snuff 
box in one hand, and stick in the other, his legs encir- 
cled with brass rings, a handsome military coat on, and 
a piece of blue silk tied around his head, he poured 
forth a perfect torrent of words. What powers of ora- 
tory the old man possessed ! How skillfully he could 
plead his cause, wright or wrong — generally wrong! 
No doubt his grave has by this time been covered 
with ornaments, for this is the custom at Palabala. 

On the edge of the " nfinda '^ (forest), ^neath the 
shade of graceful palm trees, or the overhanging 

E 



66 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

branchas of the huge baobab, in a spot where the evil 
spirits have been scared by the firing of guns and 
consecrated by the superstitious rites of the " nganga/^ 
they bury their dead. 

Wrapped in cloth, and secured by the fibre of the 
palm tree, they bury the smoked, shriveled and dried- 
up remains, in a grave about four feet deep, while those 
that are alive and remain give vent to the fear and 
sorrow of their heart in a very demonstrative manner. 

On the top of the mound they place bottles, jugs, 
dishes, wash-basins, large earthenware of different 
kinds, as also demijohns. All these are empty, and 
if the traveler will cautiously approach and dare to 
examine them, he will find that each article has a 
hole in the bottom. 

I asked a native who was with me when I visited 
some graves : 

" Why do you break holes in all the things you put 
on the ' m'inkala ^ ? ^^ (graves.) 

" Yevi, mindele (thieves, white man). We break 
holes in them, and then no one will steal them.'^ 

" Would the people steal them if they were in good 
condition ? ^^ 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 67 

" Inga, mindele^' (Yes, white man). 

^' Why do you put all these things on the graves ?^^ 

'^ Perhaps the spirits of those who are buried here 
might want them." 

'^ Don't you think it is very wrong to steal? " 

^' Yes, ka mbote ko '^ (It is not good). 

^^ Then why do you steal ? '^ 

" It is very wrong, if we are caughtJ^ 

"Why do you shoot over and around the grave 
when you bury ? " 

" To frighten away the ' mpevi yambi ' " (bad 
spirits). 

"Do you really think you can drive them all 
away ? '^ 

" Yes, power is with the ' nganga.' He can do it. 
* Lenda kwandi ' " (can really). 

" Why do you think there are evil spirits around 
the graves ? '^ 

" Sometimes the ^ no-ano-a ' can see them." 

" You must not believe the ^ nganga ' ; he tells lies 
to get plenty of cloth. But why are you so much 
afraid of evil spirits ? " 

"They come and steal our spirits, white man, when 



68 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

we die; they stole the spirits of those whom we 
have buried.^' 

*^The ^nganga ' told you that, aud he does not tell 
the truth. Can the ^ nganga ^ really drive evil spirits 
away from the town ? ^^ 

" Yes. ' Kedika kwandi ' " (truth verily). 

'' They are deceiving you. Do you not see that the 
^ ngangas ^ themselves die ? ^^ 

" Yes, perhaps their ' nkisi ' was not powerful 
enough to keep them." 

" No, it was not. The ' ngangas ' die, and they can 
not prevent any one from dying when ^ Mzambi 
Mpungu' calls '^ (When Great God calls). 

" The white man speaks wisely.'^ 

" Do not your goats and sheep die?" 

" They die." 

^' Do not your ' zinsusu ' (fowls) die ? " 

^' Yes, white man." 

" Do not elephants die after living many seasons? 
the animals die ? the fish die ? the birds die? " 

"True, ^mindele.'" 

" Then why should not we die the same as do goats 
and slieep, and fowls, and elephants, and birds, and 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IX CONGO. 69 

fishes? Look at your forests; do not the leaves decay, 
and others take their place? Does not the grass 
wither ? Do not all flowers fade ? After working and 
planting, and hunting, and building, and eating, and 
sleeping for many seasons, do you feel the same ? Can 
you climb the palm tree as when you were a young 
man? Do your fathers feel strong to chase the ele- 
phant and buifalo as in former days ? '^ 

" The white man speaks words of wisdom.'^ 
" The ' ngangas ^ cannot help you. They them- 
selves are often sick, and they, too, die. They cannot 
do you any good. ' Nzambi Mpungu kaka kuna 
dizulu ^ (the Great God only in heaven) can help us 
to live, and make us ready to die/^ 



CHAPTER VII. 

JIGGERS— STEAMSHIP CORISCO — TAKING MEDICINE — SOUND OP 
THE DRUM— THE ORCHESTRA — THE NGANGA SATS IT MAT. 

TT7HILE at Palabala I had my first experience 
*' with jiggers. The ^^ nvidi/^ or jigger, was 
originally imported from Brazil. In size it is small, 
almost invisible. It is carried to the various mission 
stations by the natives, who have usually a large 
number in their feet. This is especially true in the 
dry season, when, for a number of months, there is no 
rain. During that period they increase with astonish- 
ing rapidity. The rainy season, however, almost 
exterminates them. Up to this time I had very 
vague ideas as to what a jigger really was. I cer- 
tainly thought it was sufficiently large to be easily 
seen. The jigger has a great fondness for the feet. 
The reason of this is, I suppose, because the feet are 
next to the earth, and these insectile invaders can 
more easily reach the feet than any other part of one's 

body. During the dry season, our children need 
70 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 71 

constant attention, or their feet would be in a sorry 
plight. It is a singular fact that few of our younger 
mission children will take the proper precautions to 
keep their feet free from these pests. This is 
* partly because they do not like the short, but rather 
painful operation of extracting them, and partly from 
a foolish unconcern. Some of the little native 
boys are very skillful in removing them. The 
only surgical instrument they use is a small pointed 
stick. The jigger invariably burrows under the toe 
nails, and when it has fairly (or unfairly) forced itself 
under the skin, it immediately encloses itself in a bag, 
in which it lays its e^gs. If neglected, it will 
increase in astonishing numbers, and in a short time 
will eat away the tissue, and destroy the toe. At 
first, and for some time, they do not cause much pain. 
The only indication of their presence is a slight feel- 
ing of discomfort, as though the toes had chafed by 
walking, accompanied by an occasional prickly sensa- 
tion. In probing, great caution is necessary to avoid 
rupturing the bag in which insect and eggs are 
enclosed. This the Congo boy knows how to do with 
as much tact and skill as any surgeon. 



V 



72 LIFE AND SCENES IN (X)NGO. 

When I had been at Palabala about a month, I 
felt one night an uncomfortable sensation in the toes 
of both feet. I was sitting at the time on my bed, 
dressed in my "j)yjamas.'^ The thought occurred to 
me that I was perhaps a prey to jiggers. So I called 
to Mr. C. : 

" Oh, Mr. C, I think the jiggers have bored all 
through my toes.^^ 

" I told you you would get them, walking about 
without your shoes." 

It was even so. My friend came, smiling all over 
his face. An examination proved that there were just 
seven of these small annoyances seeking to live in my 
feet. 

My friend very deftly removed them, and ever 
after I was very careful to get my boy to make a 
daily inspection of my ^' understandings." 

About this time, and while I w^as preparing to go 
up country, some important news reached our mission. 
The beautiftil steamer the " Corisco," bound from 
Liverpool to the southwest coast of Africa, was 
wrecked on the Kru coast, and was a total loss. She 
struck a hidden rock about four o'clock in the morn- 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 73 

ing, and weut down in twenty minutes, the passengers 
having barely time to escape into their boats in their 
night clothing. A portion of her cargo was for our 
mission. There was also some clothing on board for 
me. Tiie "Corisco'^ left Liverpool three weeks after 
the " Kinsembo/^ in which I sailed, and belonged to 
the same company. Among the passengers on this 
steamer was a young missionary who was bound for 
Old Calabar. When I sailed on the " Kinsembo/^ I 
was the only missionary on board. 

Mrs. H. G. Guinness, of London, urged me to wait 
and go by the '^ Corisco ^' for the sake of Christian 
companionship. I was anxious, however, to get up 
the Congo before the rainy season commenced, and so, 
much though I desired the presence of a brother mis- 
sionary during the long voyage, I decided to go 
alone. When I heard of the loss of the " Corisco," 
how thankful I was that I did not take passage in 
that ill-fated steamer ! 

Among the passengers on board this latter steamer 
was old Oko Jumbo, one of the Bonny kings He 
had made a visit to London to see an oculist. 

Among the cargo there were thirty-three bags of 



74 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

rice for our mission. There was also about two 
hundred and seventy-five dollars in English gold, 
which was to pay our carpenters from Acra, their 
time having expired. 

About this time there was a great scene in the neigh- 
borhood of our mission. About two hundred yards 
from our station, there is a small village, of which 
Nikiangila is the worthy chief. Nikiangila rules over 
but few people, but on any important occasion they 
can easily attract the natives of other towns. A big 
dance, plenty of palm wine, or, it may be, something 
stronger, in connection with a big "nkisi palaver'^ or 
fetich charm, is irresistible. Such practices undoubt- 
edly affect their health very seriously, for these dances 
and fetichisms are indulged in for several days at one 
time, with scarcely any intermission for rest. Like 
Kanga Mpaka, Nikiangila rejoiced in several wives. 
For a long time he suffered from a very diseased breast, 
which was a mass of sores, made all the worse by 
foolish attempts to heal it by fetichism. As a last re- 
course, one of his wives determined to take the fetich 
potions herself, in the hope that the ^^nkisi^^ might 
work through her, and that Nikiangila might thus be 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 75 

healed. The appointed day arrived, and natives came 
from all around to take part in the fetich dance, and 
to sympathize with the old chief. In front of his 
house a space was cleared, a small fire was kindled, 
and the fetich potion was prepared. In the centre, 
and on the outside of a large circle, there were several 
drums. These were the only instruments of music (?) 
used in connection with the dance. The native drums 
are of various shapes and sizes. One of these was 
the trunk of a small tree, hollowed out, about ten 
feet in length, and with goatskin tightly stretched 
over the one end. It is astonishing what noise can 
be gotten out of these ^^ zingoma,'^ or drums. The 
native who beats the drum, and thus guides and con- 
trols the dancers' movements, has great powers of 
endurance, to say the least of it. The drum itself is 
laid along the ground, with a piece of wood under the 
end to which the skin is attached. The drummer sits 
astride of the intsrument, and his hands are the drum 
sticks. It is not every one who can do this properly. 
I attempted in vain to imitate the drummer, but I 
only succeeded in producing shouts of laughter on 
the part of the bystanders. Every movement of the 



76 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

daucers, as well as their song, is regulated by the beat 
of the drummer. The '^ nganga^^ or doctor of fetich, 
figures conspicuously in ceremonies like these. He 
of all othei-s does not like interferences on the part of 
the white man. It is he who prepares the fetich 
potions. After a large number of natives had assem- 
bled in front of the old chief's house, the poor wife 
who was going to take the fetich medicine appeared 
on the scene. She was an object of interest to the 
chief, to his other wives, and to the people, who came 
to contribute to the interest of the occasion. What 
the medicine actually was I could not discover. Its 
medicinal properties were probably very inferior. 
They attach more importance to it as a cJmrm than 
as an actual medicinal remedy. Sitting upon a mat on 
the orround, and surrounded bv the old chief and his 
other wives, the noble wife took the bitter draught 
that was to heal the sores on her husband's neck 
and breast. This chief doubtlessly felt fortunate in 
having such a wife. After taking the medicine, her 
wriggling and contortions of countenance were sick- 
ening to behold. Not that the medicine was aflFecting 
her in this manner; for we asked : 



L 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO, 77 

" Is the medicine poisou? ^' 
" No, ^ mundele/ it is not poison/^ 
^'Then why does the woman make all those 
movements ? ^^ 

^' Oh, it is the ^ nkisi' that is working.'^ 
" Is all that going to heal Nikiangila ? ^^ 
^^ The ^ nganga ^ says it will do him good/' 
"Why does not Nikiangila take the medicine?^' 
" Oh, his wife wanted to take it. It will do the 
same good, the ' nganga ^ says.'' 

"' But the ' nganga ' has tried before, and failed/' 
" Oh, yes, white man ; but this is a very powerful 
^ nkisi ' and will do good/' 

After the woman took the medicine, the dancers 
commenced their somewhat awkward movements, to 
the sound of the drum. This was continued with 
little intermission for several days. During the 
night season, the dancing was more vigorous than by 
day, while under the influence of stale palm wine 
they yelled and shouted most lustily. While some 
re^sted, others took their places, and it was vain to 
seek sleep within a quarter of a mile. Occasionally 
a chief would step into the ring or circle, and this 



78 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

would incite the dancers to greater gyrations. Toward 
the close of the third day, the interest began to flag. 
The powerful fetich had failed to produce the desired 
effect. The poor wife was quite exhausted. The old 
chief was no better. We were glad when it came to 
^n end, as we knew what the result would be. After 
this the old chief came to our mission station, and 
was treated repeatedly by our brethren. At one 
time, under their treatment, he seemed almost cured, 
but the sores appeared again in their most malignant 
form. Soon after the mission was established at Pal- 
abala. Nikiangila exhibited great interest in the story 
of the cross. But when, later on, he discovered that 
the gospel and fetichism could not harmonize, he 
attended less frequently, and sometimes for months 
he would not be seen at any of our services. I shall 
never forget the big dances at Nikiangila's. In 
imagination, I can still hear the horrid shouts and 
yells of the people, as they were dancing, and having 
a special time with their " nkisi.^^ 



L 



CHAPTER VIII. 

IN CAMP— CHOP BOXES — ROUSING THE CAMP — BAD PEOPLE — 
CONQUERED BUT NOT SUBDUED — THE LUVU — BANZA MANTEKB 
— LITTLE JOHNNY — UNDER A VOW — SMOKING THE BODY — THE 
NKIMBA — THE SACRED GROVE — INTRUDING— NDOKI. 

f\^ September 7, 1885, my companion and my- 
self took our departure from the Palabala 
plateau, bound for Mukimbuugu. We had with us 
nine men and three boys, to carry our goods, tent, beds, 
and food. The descent of the hill or plateau was care- 
fully made. For the first few miles up the country 
from Palabala it is probably one of the roughest roads 
in the country. Immediately before we commenced 
the descent, we obtained a partial view of the Yelala 
Falls, and long afterward we could still hear the 
mighty cataract, like the rumbling of distant thunder. 
Our first stopping place was the '' Maza ma 
nkenge^' stream. This name signifies something like 
" waters of bitterness.^' A market is held near this 
stream every fourth day. The market is known as 

"Nkenge Elamba." We halted here only a short 

79 



80 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

time, and after lunch we proceeded onward. This 
day's marching was very fatiguing on account of the 
tall grass and the rough, sharp quartz. 

Early in the afternoon we arrived at the Nduzi or 
Luiza stream, and here we determined to pitch our 
tent. The first day's marching is always trying, and 
we were both in an exhausted condition. 

Two men were told off to fix the tent ; a third was 
despatched to gather kindling wood, while one of our 
men who acted as cook explored the depths of our 
boxes of food, or " chop boxes " as they are popularly 
called. Some tall grass was removed, a space was 
cleared, the ground swept, and the tent erected. It 
was pitched toward the sunrising and near to the north 
bank of the stream. 

Just as the sun sank into the far west, the fire was 
kindled, and the crackling wood and the smoke and 
light were a pleasing contrast to the sombre back- 
ground of trees and grass. For a few moments after 
the sun went down, there was perfect stillness. I 
hoped that this might continue, but I was grievously 
disappointed ; for, before darkness fairly set in, there 
was every evidence that we should have a wakeful 



L 




m^:^^ 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 81 

night. In vain did we make every eflFort to keep the 
mosquitoes out of our tent. In vain did we repel their 
advances. The cry was '^ Still they come," and they 
came. We utterly failed to secure " balmy sleep/^ and, 
indeed, any kind of sleep. Nor were the mosquitoes 
the only disturbers. Frogs croaked; various birds 
screeched and screamed; grasshoppers loudly chirped ; 
and what with the insects and discordant music, we 
could hardly be other than feverish in the morning. 

Before the sun peeped into our tent, we had risen, 
and roused the sleeping camp. I say sleeping camp, 
for myself and friend were probably the only ones 
who were really disturbed. So we called : 

'' O Kuzielo " (O cook). 

^^ Yes, masta.'^ 

'' Light fire one time " (Light fire at once). 

"Small bit fire live, masta." (In plainer English 
that would mean, "There is a little fire.") 

" Well, make coffee quick, then we go." 

"Yes, masta." 

A cup of coffee has a wonderful effect, and, after a 

sweet season of communion with God, we began our 

march. 

F 



82 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

Tlie movements of the carriers are apt to be slow 
and undecided the first thing in the morning. So it 
is necessary to superintend everything; otherwise 
something will surely be left behind. 

"Now you boys, pack them tent good. That no 
be proper. Pick up that rope. Don't leave them 
pegs.'' 

These and other such remarks are necessary before a 
satisfactory start can be made. 

Our route was over the Ekongo di Elemba hill or 
plateau, which is nearly fifteen hundred feet high. 
In some places the grass had been burned for several 
miles, and we were quite blackened by passing through 
it ; in other places, the roads were made well-nigh im- 
passable by the tall grass, which frequently reaches a 
height of sixteen feet, or more. It would be a very 
serious matter to get lost in this grass. On the summit 
of Ekongo di Elemba there is a town of considerable 
size, the people of which had a very bad reputation. 
Thev had contracted, alas ! a likino- for the white man's 
strong drink, which was supplied by the traders on 
the lower river, and others. Travelers througli the 
town were frequently interrupted and annoyed, and 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 83 

cases of theft were common. Carriers were prevented 
from passing up the country with their loads. 

At last, very severe measures were taken by the 
officials of the Cougo Free State. The town was 
burned to ashes and several people killed. This took 
place in 1886. I passed down the country immedi- 
ately afterward, while yet it was a heap of smoking, 
blackened ruins. Houses or huts in Congo, however, 
are easily rebuilt or replaced. The people of Ekongo 
di Elemba were conquered but not subdued ; for, 
abandoning their burning homes, they went to a 
more isolated spot in a valley a few miles away. 

From Ekongo di Elemba we descended to the Bem- 
bizi stream, a miserable - apology for a river. Just 
beyond this there is another stream or torrent bed, 
called Nkama Nsoki. After lunch, w^e prepared our- 
selves for another climb to the town of Mazamba. 
There are few towns along the line of travel between 
Palabala and Banza Manteke. The town of Mazamba 
no longer exists ; for, like Ekongo di Elemba, it has 
gone up in smoke and flame. Immediately beyond 
the site of the town, there is an immense forest known 
to white travelers as the Mazamba wood. This wood 



84 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

is the home of the leopard and other wild animals, 
and it took us fully half an hour to thread our way 
through it. 

It was necessary to look well to one's feet, as the 
spreading roots of trees frequently crossed the path, 
just an inch or two above the ground. Tangled 
creepers, too, made it difficult for our men to pass 
along with their loads, which they invariably carry on 
their heads. Trees rent asunder by the lightning 
and storm^ or killed by the united attacks of white 
ants, were fallen across the path, and our men, with 
their hatchets, had to cut a passage around them. 

The change from the painful glare of the sun to 
the deep shade of the Mazamba forest was most 
grateful and refreshing. Emerging again into the 
light of day, we continued our march for about 
twenty-five minutes, which brought us to the Luvu 
River. This is a beautiful stream of clear, cool water. 
At this time it was fordable, but during the rainy sea- 
son the river is deep and powerful, and travelers have 
to wait several days, it may be, to get across. In 
traveling during the wet season, it is always wise to 
cross the stream near to which the tent is to be pitched 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 85 

for the night. The reason of this is, though the 
stream may be forclable, a storm may come on before 
the morning, and eflFectually prevent a passage. Vari- 
ous attempts have been made to construct a rude swing 
bridge over this river, but they have invariably failed, 
as the structures have been swept away. Here we ar- 
ranged for the night, and I fell into a deep sleep, from 
which I was only awakened by the repeated efforts of 
my friend. Whether the insect life was less abun- 
dant in this valley ; whether frogs were less numerous 
or better behaved; whether the night-flying goat- 
sucker uttered his plaintive cries elsewhere, I cannot 
determine, for I slept, and slept soundly. 

Oa the following morning, four and a half hours' 
march brought us to Banza Manteke. 

There is very little good traveling between Palabala 
and this place. It is really a series of precipitous 
hills, immense grassy plains, and impenetrable jungle. 
Banza Manteke, however, is well situated, and the 
mission is planted in the centre of a number of towns. 
This mission station, which was built and established 
by Mr. Richards, was for some years a most discour- 
aging place. At no place in the Cataract region had 



86 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

fetichism, and all forms of evil, taken a deeper root 
apparently than at Banza Manteke. To give one 
instance out of many : At our Lukungu Station, 
about two hundred and thirty miles from the coast, 
and one hundred and ten miles from Palabala, we 
hav^, as at all our stations, a mission school. Most 
of the children who attend it live at the station. 
Some have been engaged to assist in the many little 
duties of the mission, such as cleaning the rooms, 
waiting at table, and washing dishes. Others have 
been ransomed in various parts of the country, and 
they stay at the mission, as they have no other friends, 
and no other home. Among these children, there is 
one wee boy, a bright-eyed, thin-lipped, pretty little 
fellow, and his name is Johnny. He has been at this 
mission the greater part of his short life, and is full 
of interest to its inmates. 

Johnny was very fond of peanuts. We had a 
small patch of peanuts in our garden, and sometimes 
I would meet Johnny going in that direction, and 
knowing his errand, I would ask, speaking in Eng- 
lish : 

'' Where are you going, Johnny ? ^^ 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 87 

Johnny would invariably reply in Ki-kongo, and 
that in a whisper : 

" Kuna zinguba ^^ (to the peanuts). 

"Well, Johnny, don't eat too many.'^ 

Johnny (softly), " Yes.'' 

When Johnny was a tiny babe, his mother lived at 
Bauza Manteke, where Mr. Richards has been labor- 
ing so successfully for a number of years. 

A king died at Banza Manteke, and after three 
months had passed this poor woman was accused of 
causing his death. Of course, she was quite innocent. 
Mavuzi, one of our mission boys, was in the town, 
and he discovered that they were about to murder the 
poor creature. They were making a great noise in 
the town, as Mavuzi rushed up to the mission station, 
crying : 

" Oh, ^ raundele,' they are going to kill a woman 
and her child." 

'^ What for, Mavuzi?" 

" Oh, they say she is ^ ndoki,' and that she caused 
the death of the king." 

Mr. Richards and Mr. W. at once started off 
for the town, hoping to be able to rescue the poor 



88 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

woman and her babe. The first thing they saw was 
a hut full of women, who were crying as if in an 
awful agony. Mr. Richards asked : 

'^ Where is the woman whom they want to kill ? " 

With a shriek they rushed out of the hut, and 
made for the woods, crying : 

" We are under a vow to the ^ minkisi ' '^ (or idols). 

Further inquiries were made to no eifect, as every- 
body replied : 

" Ka tu zaidi ko '^ (we don't know). Although 
everybody knew where she was. 

Mr. Richards did all he could to find out where 
the murderers had gone, but without success. Next 
day he learned that they had taken the woman and 
her child some miles away, where first shooting the 
mother, they then cut her throat, nearly severing the 
head from the body. The man appointed to perform 
the horrid task took the child and dashed it to the 
ground ; but a woman who was present, who had 
some feeling in her bosom, snatched up the child, and 
ran away. After considerable trouble and eflFort, Mr. 
Richards obtained possession of the tiny babe. It 
was tenderly cared for, and Mr. Richards wrote : 



L 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 89 

" We hope and pray the boy may grow up and teach 
his people better things/' Will not my readers echo 
that prayer ? 

The body of the king on whose account this pre- 
cious life was sacrificed was not buried for a long 
time. Deaths and murders were interesting events to 
the people, and they were fully occupied firing guns, 
beating drums, and yelling by day and by night, for 
some time. The dead body was encased in many 
rolls of cloth and mats, and hung up over a slow fire, 
and well smoked. Mr. Richards was in the village 
one Sunday, but on account of this horrible custom 
was quite unable to stay. 

In those days Banza Manteke was the stronghold 
of the " nkimba.'^ The ^^ nkimba '^ is a sort of 
priesthood, or rather a kind of secret order or society 
among the Ba-kongo people. After being initiated 
into the " nkimba '^ fellowship, they profess to be trans- 
formed to live another life, and speak another lan- 
guage. We once saw the " nkimba '^ at Palabala. 
Their faces were covered with a generous supply of 
white clay, which gave to them a strangely hideous 
appearance, and they passed us without any recog- 



90 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

nition whatever. This was not from any lack of 
respect, as the natives of the Cataract region are 
ordinarily respectful. 

The glorious work at Banza Manteke has largely 
interfered with the sacred order of the " Nkimba.'^ 
One day, soon after our Mr. Richards had established 
himself at Banza Manteke, he started off after break- 
fast, with several boys, to visit some villages. The 
first, Banza Vala, to the southwest of the mission, was 
empty ; the people had all gone away to market. 
Proceeding, he came to Ndambo, which was the 
^^ minkisi '^ village, about a mile from the mission 
station. Knowing that this place was Satan's seat, 
Mr. Richards determined to stay and observe their 
practices, if possible. The men caught hold of him, 
and tried to prevent his entering the village, but he 
pushed on. The boys who were with him became so 
frightened that they ran away and hid themselves in 
the grass. All adult males have to go through a 
training, which is to initiate them in'to their super- 
stitious and diabolical rites. They take a year in 
this training, and do not wash during all that time. 
They had an enclosure made of the stems of palm 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 91 

leaves and huts built inside. Mr. Richards de- 
termined to get inside, which he did, and saw many 
of the ^^nkimba" dressed in their peculiar costume. 
It is made of grass and palm branches split. A 
round flat piece, four feet in diameter, woven into a 
basket shape, and having a hole in the centre large 
enough to pass over the head, rests horizontally on 
the shoulder ; a tube a foot deep is made long enough 
to go over the head, and fasten on to the circle, holes 
being made in the tube to look through, and feathers 
being placed on the top. Around the flat, target- 
shaped piece is a deep fringe of soft broad loose grass. 
When they have on this affair, nothing of the body is 
seen except the legs, which are painted white. There 
was nothing else in the enclosure, save some drums 
and a gun. 

At the next two villages the people were also gone 
to the market, and Mr. Richards felt somewhat disap- 
pointed that there was no oppor. unity of speaking to 
the people. Proceeding onward, in another half hour, 
he came to a large village, called Kuindemba. Here 
there was a lot of men, women, and children, drum- 
ming, yelling, and dancing around a poor woman who 



92 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

was sLifFering probably from rheumatism. Seeing a 
white man, they became silent and angry, and wanted 
to know what he had come for. 

^' To teach you about God, and how to worship 
him.'^ 

'^ We don't know him, and we don't want to know 
him, or worship him : go away, wiiite man." 

" What is the matter with that woman ? What are 
you doing to her?" 

" Nothing, nothing, nothing." 
" Yes, you are trying to make her well." 
She was sitting on a mat all alone at this time. 
^* You are not going the right way to do it." 
'' ^Ndoki' has made her ill ; we were trying to make 
her well." 

" But this is a foolish way to try ; listen to me." 
" No, we will not listen ; go away, white man." 
They grew quite angry ; but, unconsciously to them- 
selves, they at last became somewhat interested in his 
words regarding the works of God. After telling them 
the story of the six days' work of creation, and after 
describing each day's work, they were asked, '' Why 
not worship him who made all these good things?" 



L 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 93 

The question, " Who makes your food grow ? '^ 
seemed especially to interest them, and they acknowl- 
edged that God made everything. Again they were 
asked, " Why not worship him ? " There was a grunt 
of approval from many. They were then told about 
Christ the Redeemer, and asked to close their eyes 
during a short prayer, in which the sick woman was 
remembered. A thunderstorm then came on, and our 
friend, Mr. Richards, had to return home as quickly 
as possible. 



CHAPTER IX. 

A GREAT CHANGE — CHURCH BELLS — OPPOSITION— NEVER RE- 
TURNED—WILLING TO SUFFER— I GO BACK— CLIMBING THE 
PALM TREE. 

rriHE events referred to in the latter part of the last 
-*- chapter occurred some years ago. Since then 
what a great and mighty change has taken place in 
and around Banza Manteke! One can but exclaim, 
"Oh, change! stupendous change !^^ In 1886, I 
passed through Banza Manteke, and witnessed a scene 
such as seldom falls to the lot of man. A. revival had 
broken out. For years Mr. Richards had toiled with- 
out any visible results. Seed was sown, but there was 
little or no harvest. His faith was sorely tried ; but 
he determined to make a more vigorous effort. In 
God's own time the blessing came. On my arrival, I 
found Richards carrying on a service that had already 
lasted several hours. The house, the entry, and the 
approaches all around the station were well-nigli 
thronged by people, most of whom were in evident 

anxiety about their souls. Within the house, some 
94 



L 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 95 

were prostrate on the floor, some on their knees call- 
ing upon God, while some who had already found 
Christ were themselves trying to lead others into the 
light, thus immediately becoming missionaries them- 
selves. 

As we approached the mission, we were met by 
several of the natives, and the unusal warm grasp of 
their hands, and the joyful expression of their faces, 
assured me, even before I asked, that they had found 
joy and peace in believing. During the whole of this 
blessed season of grace, Richards scarcely found time 
to eat. From morning until noon, and from noon 
until the evening, he was busy preaching the word, 
dealing with inquirers, and treating the sick. Now 
that they had lost faith in their "minkisi^^ and *^zin- 
ganga ^^ they w^anted to be treated by the white man. 
They had faith in the gospel which he preached, and 
they now began to have confidence in the medical skill 
of the preacher. Many who but a short time before 
this were apparently indifferent were now completely 
conquered by the power of the word. It was a scene 
never to be forgotten. A Swedish traveler who visited 
Banza Manteke soon afterward, thus wrote : '' I was 



96 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

rather tired when I reached the top of the hill above 
Banza Manteke. I was changed in a moment, when 
I saw below, in a bird's eye view, the pretty villages 
and green ravines. The tones of a bell greeted me, 
and the whole impression was one of peace. I was 
not wrong. Arriving at the mission, I could not be- 
lieve my eyes. I found Mr. Richards preaching in 
the middle of a large circle of men and women, who 
were throwing away tljeir ^^minkisi '' or idols. That is 
to say, I have been witness to an event of great im- 
portance ; and Banza Manteke will be distinguished 
in the future Congo history as the first Christian 
parish, to-day numbering many hundreds.'^ 

It must not be supposed, however, that all the peo- 
ple were favorable to the reception of the gospel. On 
the contrary, many were steadily and bitterly opposed 
to it from the very beginning. First among these 
were the witch-doctors or " zinganga.'^ Like Deme- 
trius of old, their craft was in danger, and while 
they knew they were all acting the part of impostors, 
yet they professed to be in earnest, and to be greatly 
alarmed. These men would naturally expect to lose 
their supply of cloth, for if the people became Chris- 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 97 

tians and gave up their "minkisi/' the ^^ngaiigas" 
would have to turn their attention to something else. 
Hence the missionary could not count on the sympa- 
thy of tlie "zinganga.^' Nor were these the only 
opposers, for many of the chiefs in the neighboring 
towns were most jealous of the missionaries' influence. 
The preaching of the word struck at the root of many 
of their sinful practices. Most of these chiefs were 
polygamists, and they also encouraged and sustained a 
sort of domestic slavery. They began to see that this 
gospel would antagonize many of their interests. 
Then, too, they entertained very ridiculous notions of 
the Kingship of Christ. Like Herod of old, they 
imagined that this Jesus would detract from their own 
power and authority. Though friendly at the first, 
they at length began to watch the missionaries with 
jealousy and suspicion. Hence, as the number of con- 
verts increased, the opposition of the ^^ zinganga " and 
the chiefs became pronounced. Some of the new con- 
verts were tempted and tried in various ways ; some- 
times by ridicule, sometimes by threatening, and at 
other times by endeavoring to allure them back to 
their former practices. Rarely, however, did they 



98 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

succeed, for the converts were immovable. Imme- 
diately after their conversion, they gave evidence of it 
by their abundant labors for God. So far as they were 
able, they preached the gospel which they had received. 
One morning seven converts left Banza Manteke, never 
more to return. They desired to go to some town 
about sixteen miles from the station, where the natives 
had always been particularly unfriendly. It was the 
custom for the young converts to go in this way, and 
at their own charges. Neither was it at all necessary 
for the missionary to prompt them in the matter. 
They felt it was not a duty but a privilege to go and 
preach the gospel. Though conscious that they might 
often imperil their lives, they went apparently without 
any fear. These young men were warned of their 
danger. Still they went joyfully, to tell the story of 
the cross, and of God^s love to men. They went — but 
they never returned. They sealed their faith with 
their blood. Thus they went home to be with that 
Saviour whom they had so recently learned to 
love. 

The friends and relatives of the martyred Chris- 
tians came to the missionaries for comfort and advice. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 99 

'^O mundele, wei tuna sa?^^ (O white man, what 
shall we do ?) they tearfully asked. 

" What did the disciples do when John the Bap- 
tist was beheaded ?^^ asked the missionary. ^^They 
went and told Jesus.^^ 

Thus the brethren tried to comfort and strengthen 
these new and persecuted Christians. 

After spending one night at Banza Manteke, we 
prepared to move forward toward Ntombo Lukuti. 
Our carriers felt otherwise. The actions of the 
leader of our Kru boys showed that things were ripe 
for desertion. Boxes and cases were brought from 
the storehouse and laid along the yard in order, but 
our men showed no disposition to take the loads 
assigned to them. These men had never been up the 
country beyond this point, and were evidently not 
inclined to go farther. Half of our men were Krus ; 
the other half were Loangos. We approached the 
Kru headman to get him to make a move. 

" Now, headman, what is the matter that we do 
not start? '^ 

"We go back." 

" What is the matter, that you want to go back ? ^^ 



100 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

^^No chop live for them road/^ (No food on the 
road.) ^^We no ketch plenty chop.^^ 

A little gentle persuasion convinced the obstinate 
headman and his carriers that there was an abundance 
of food in advance, and so they picked up their loads 
aud we departed. 

At noon we rested at Ntombo Lukuti, under the 
friendly shade of a native hut. We were thirsty 
after our walk, and longed for some fresh palm wine. 
Presently an old chief came along with a fowl to pre- 
sent to the white travelers. We accepted it, although 
we knew too well that the old gentleman was not 
actuated altogether by motives of pure generosity. 
Whenever they make a present they do it with the 
expectation of getting more than its value in return. 
There were many beautiful palm trees in and near the 
town, so we asked : 

^^ Chief, we would like some ^malavu masamba.^'^ 

"We have none, white man.'^ 

" There are many trees all around." 

"But they are not mine, white man." 

" Well you know the owner. Go and get us some 
fresh palm wine." 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 101 

Expecting to get some blue beads for his trouble, 
the chief secured a calabash of fresh wiue. This 
juice of the palm tree is a most refreshing drink. If 
drunk in a purely fresh state, it is absolutely unintoxi- 
cating. The natives, however, keep it exposed to the 
air and to the heat, until fermentation sets in. It is 
called in the Ki-kongo language, ^' malavu masamba." 
It requires knowledge to tap the palm tree, so as to 
get all the juice, and yet not injure the tree. Nearly r 
everywhere there are palm trees, and one man usually 
makes a living by tapping the trees and collecting 
the juice. He may purchase the right, or receive it 
through his family, or from the king. If he can, he 
monopolizes the trade. It would be a serious of- 
fense to climb his trees and take his wine. I say 
climby for the tree is tapped, not at its root, but at the 
top of the trunk, immediately below the branches. 
The trees are tapped at sunrise and at sunset. In the 
Congo palm, the juice does not flow at once, but 
drips from a hollow reed fixed in the tree, into a 
calabash placed to receive it, and tied to the tree. 
Three reeds and three small calabashes are fixed to 
each palm. The method of climbing the palm tree is 



102 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

interesting. The native lias a hoop large enough to 
throw around the tree and his own body. After 
passing it around the tree and his loins, he hitclies it 
together ; then, with a knife in his girdle, and a large 
calabash suspended from his shoulder, he climbs the 
tree, almost horizontally, sometimes to a height of 
forty to fifty feet. This they do with apparent ease. 
As may be expected, once in a great while they 
have accidents in connection with this tapping of the 
palm. It must be admitted that they are usually 
very careful, but occasionally a man who is not quite 
sober will unwisely seek to climb, or another will be 
in great haste, or a half-worn hoop may be used. In 
such cases the result is commonly a fall, and an in- 
jured back or broken limbs. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE LUNIONZO— BAKA MBIZI— STOP THAT NOISE— SHADE AND 
SHELTER — PEACE AND SLEEP — HE STEPPED UPON A SHARP ROCK 
—HOUSE OF THE STRANGER. 

A GOOD march brought us to the Luniouzo River. 
This was a beautiful river of very clear water, 
and, divesting ourselves of our clothing, we waded 
across and pitched our tent on the other side. Shortly- 
after dusk, a caravan of natives passed by on their 
way up the country. Tliey did not go on very far, 
however, but returned to the river some time during 
the night and greatly disturbed us. After eating our 
supper, which was laid on one of our boxes, we fixed 
our traveling beds just inside of the tent, and pre- 
pared to go to rest. Our Kru boys were lying around 
a small fire directly in front of our tent. The 
Loango boys were lying by another fire nearer to the 
bank of the river. At midnight, after a somewhat 
uneasy sleep, I was awakened by a most unearthly 
noise. It was a combination of cries, yells, and 

groans. My first impression was that a leopard had 

103 



104 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

carried off one of our men, and then I thought that 
perhaps a crocodile had come up from the lower part 
of the river and seized one of our number. These 
and various thoughts came to me. The distressing 
noise continuing, I said to my fellow traveler : 

" Old fellow, what is the matter? '' 

My friend jumped up in the bed, listened for a 
moment, and then exclaimed : 

" There's a row among our men ; between the Kru 
boys and the Loangos." 

But there in front of us were our men, apparently 
wrapped in deep slumber, and unconscious of the 
noises that made night so hideous. 

Seizing our guns, we stepped forth from the tent to 
the forest on the bank of the river, and shouted, ^' Oh, 
bakundi '' (Oh, friends). 

The noises ceased, but there was no reply. 

We again concluded that one or more of our men 
had either been the victim of foul play, or that some 
dark deed was being committed in the deep shade of 
the forest. Again the stillness was broken by Ki- 
kongo exclamations of surprise, such as — ^' E-Tata ! 
E-Mamal'' 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 105 

My friend and I heard these words distinctly, and 
both of us instantly concluded there was something 
radically wrong. 

Again exerting all our lung power, we shouted : 

''Oh, friends, what is the matter ? ^' This, of course, 
in the language of the native. 

There w^as silence for a brief moment and then a 
reply came from the river below us : 

" Mbakanga mbizi '' (I am catching fish). 

" Why do you make that awful noise ? " 

"To get more fish/' 

" Well, stop that noise at once. There are white 
men here who want to sleep/' 

"Ki diambu, ko mundele'' (No words, white man). 

Once more we sought our tents, and, save an occa- 
sional movement of our men, who arose to rekindle 
the dying embers of our camp fires, or the harsh 
notes of some night bird, all was comfortably still. 

In the morning we had a close shave with an ele- 
phant, or rather elephants, for there was a herd. 
While pursuing the '^zinzou'' (elephants) we had an 
adventure with buffaloes. In consequence of the 
high grass and the dense jungle, it was impossible to 



106 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

get near enough to shoot^ and we were compelled, to 
the great disappointment of our men, to abandon the 
cliase, and proceed on the march. 

Frequently, in passing up and down the country, we 
found it convenient to spend a night at the Lunionzo 
River. The following extract from my diary will 
show to some extent how we traveled in the dry 
season : 

'' I am writing this under the friendly shade of some trees 
on the bank of the Lunionzo River. All is fixed for the night. 
Our men are lying down, talking over the events of the day. 
We are all happy, though far from the haunts of civilization, 
and the city's noisy din. One large tree near me, with roots 
above ground, and with s^narled wide-spreading branches, 
reminds one of the tree in the ' Village Blacksmith. ' Truly 
it is as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. I appre- 
ciate its shade all the more, seeing I have just been exposed 
to the pitiless rays of a tropical sun. One box serves for a 
seat; another for a table. I have no tent, neither a bed, 
only a camp chair and blankets. The waters of the Lunionzo 
looked so inviting that I treated myself to a luxurious bath. 
A large caravan has just arrived from Ngombe with ivory. 
I am lying on my chair and watching the carriers, who are 
engaged in burning the grass, in order to catch 'zimpuku,* or 
rats. At this stage of events, it would be difficult to per- 
suade most Congo men's stomachs that rats are not intended 
for human food. After feasting on rats and ' kuanga ' (a 
kind of native bread), they danced and sang most vigorously, 



L 



LIFE AXD SCENES IN CONGO. 107 

until I thought they must be utterly weary. I am somewhat 
tired with my long walk, but ' even here is a season of rest, ' 
and so, committing myself, soul and body, to him who has 
kept me all my life long, ' I will lay me down in peace and \^ 
sleep. ' The same tree that awhile ago afforded me shelter 
from a burning sun, will now protect me from the dews of 
night. Grood-night. ' * 

In Congo, where there are none of the conveniences 
for rapid and easy transit, traveling is necessarily 
slow. Occasionally, a traveler may use a mule or an 
ox, but these are not obtainable in the country, and it 
is a difficult matter to get them across the many 
rivers. One traveler informed me, in regard to his 
donkey, that he was most unwilling to cross streams. 
So when they came to a stream or small river, a rope 
was tied around the donkey^s neck, with the end of 
which a man would then swim across. Other men 
would next give the donkey a push, when he was 
looking the other way, and after a few convulsive 
struggles, he would usually reach the other side. I 
say usually, for they sometimes caused much trouble. 
One creature, in crossing the Luvu, managed to break 
the rope, and instead of reaching the other side of the 
river, floated down for some distance, and finally 



108 LIFE AND SCENES IN COInGO. 

lauded upon a rock in mid-stream, where he calmly 
surveyed his surroundings. 

Traveling in a *Muanda/' or hammock, is all very 
well for a tired or sick man, but, on the whole, I 
w^ould greatly prefer to walk. In fine weather the 
carriers will travel from twelve to twenty miles a day, 
and have sometimes covered over twenty-four. A 
tall strong carrier proves of great service in crossing 
streams. Where there are no canoes the streams must 
be forded. My plan was to divest myself of my 
coat, helmet, and boots; then I mounted and sat 
across the shoulders of a native, holding on to his 
head with a tenacious grasp. In this not very digni- 
fied position we struggled across, with a man on either 
side. On one occasion, when the water was deep and 
the current swift, my man stepped upon a slippery 
rock, and began to stagger. In vain I shouted to the 
man upon whose shoulders I sat, '' Diata malembe '^ 
(Walk carefully). One convulsive struggle with the 
law of gravity, and there was a complete collapse. 
Of course, I was submerged and wet through and 
through, but I got out and walked for several hours 
before I could change my garments. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 109 

The arrival of a white mau in a town causes great 
commotion, and, far into the night,^ the people's 
tongues run with great volubility. A white man 
does not pass through their town every day, and so 
all are anxious to see him and his mysterious 
belongings. Upon entering a town, the first thing in 
order is salutations. When a Ba-kongo man meets 
his friend, he does not shake hands, but he stands at 
a respectful distance, and inclining his body forward, 
he claps his hands several times in a peculiar manner, 
his friend doing the same. If he meets a superior, he 
may bend one knee. When a chief meets one of his 
subjects, if he condescends to return the salute at all, 
he does so by clapping the back of one hand in the 
palm of the other. My first attempts at salutation 
were altogether too clumsy for the fun-loving Congo- 
man. While clapping hands, various expressions are 
used, such as : 

" Mavimpie ? '' (Is there health ?) 
" Mavimpi kuandi.'' (There is health.) 
Or it may be: "Mbotie?'' *' Mboti kunandi.'' 
These terms having a similar meaning. 

In the Ki-kongo language, the letter '' e '' sounded 



no 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 



as "a'^ iu " fate/^ forms the interrogative. This may 
be placed at the end of a word in the middle of a 
sentence^ or at the end of the same. 

In most towns or villages through which we passed, 
we found a small hut or house set apart for the 
^accommodation of the stranger. This hut is called 
the " nzo a nzenza/' or house of the stranger. It is 
/customary to give a " dash/^ or present to the chief, 
for the use of the hut, and he will not forget this. 
When palm wine is presented to the traveler, the 
chief, or some other person, will invariably take the 
first drink from the calabash, to show, I think, that 
the wine has not been poisoned. Sometimes when 
resting in a town at noon, I have found the natives 
unwilling to sell us fowls or potatoes. In that case, I 
would prepare to depart, and say to my men in the 
hearing of the town people, '' I thought these people 
were kind to the white man ; but they do not want us 
here ; come, let us go on, that we may find kind people 
in the next town.^^ This is too much for them. 
Instantly they would go and bring a supply of food 
for us, with every expression of friendliness. 

It is very disagreeable traveling iu the rainy 



L 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. Ill 

season. One night, when in my tent, the wind raged 
furiously, the rain fell, and so did my tent, giving me 
a thorough drenching. Crawling from under it into 
the pitiless storm and darkness, I fixed a few pegs ; 
then cuddled up in my blankets, and, like Paul in the 
cyclone, I ^^ wished for the day.^^ It is known that 
cords tighten when wet. This was the immediate 
cause of the collapse. I might have anticipated the 
unpleasant result, but I placed too much confidence in 
my man, who was at this time calmly sleeping in the 
" nzo a nzenza.^^ 



CHAPTER XI. 

MUKUMBUNGU — SEEKING THE UNSEEN— MY FIRST FEVER— NKE- 
BANI — WAITING AT TABLE — EASILY REMEMBERED — DESERTED 
— SELFISHNESS. 

TTAVING been on the road from Palabala for 
-'--^ nearly one week, ray friend and I were glad 
as we approached the Mukurabungu Mission Station. 

This station is splendidly situated as regards eleva- 
tion and health considerations. It is sixteen hundred 
feet above sea level, and commands a fine view of the 
great river, immediately below the Itunzima rapids. 

When our missionaries first went to Mukurabungu, 
the people were steeped in superstition. And indeed, 
the majority of them are in that condition still. Very 
many of the younger people have embraced Chris- 
tianity, but the older ones, have, for the most part, 
been ^^ joined to their idols." 

Among other things, they believe that the spirits 

of their dead go into the woods, where they continue 

to buy and sell and trade as usual, though unseen to 

mortal eye. One evening, during our three months' 
112 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 113 

residence there, a man was ill in one of our towns. 
The '' nganga ^' said his spirit was in a certain wood, 
hence his illness. At night, a crowd led by the 
^' nganga,'^ passed our mission on their way to the 
wood, to seek for the lost spirit. In such cases the 
" zinganga ^^ know very well that they are deceiving 
the people, but they do it expecting to receive cloth 
for their services. In the small hours of the morning 
they returned", making night hideous with their noises. 
I was afterward told that the ^' nganga ^^ claimed to 
have discovered the lost spirit, but in consequence of 
something he did not bring him back. 

Previous to my going there, Mr. F. had a very 
painful experience. A king's brother had been sick 
for a loug time, and no " nkisi '^ was able to cure him, 
so that the people concluded that he must be "ndoki'^ 
or bewitched. The " nganga ^^ was brought, and a 
poor man was sent to eat poison. He had done so once 
before, and was considered as " ndoki '^ by the people 
around. This was, therefore, his second time, and if 
he failed this time to resist it, he would have to be 
killed. They can pay for their life the first time, but 
not the second. The poor condemned wretch had often 



114 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. J- 

heard the gospel from Mr. F., but he only appeared 
the more set in his course, and was now reaping 
the results of his own folly, and the fruits of his own 
worship. At first, Mr. F. questioned whether he 
had any right to interfere in the matter, having 
done all he could to persuade them they were wrong. 
But when he heard the cry of the condemned man's 
wife and children, as he was being taken away toward 
the Congo Eiver to be drowned, he could stand it no 
longer, but went after him. Two men were leading 
the condemned by the arms, and two others walked 
behind with guns. Mr. F. says he shall never 
forget the expression on the poor man's face, as he 
tried again to tell him about God and the Saviour. 
He tried to repeat the words, but being so sick, if 
was with considerable diflBculty. Mr. F. promised 
to redeem him if they would take him back, which 
they did after much persuasion, but it was slow work, 
the man was so poorly. As it was near evening, he 
made haste to see the king, in order to release the man, 
but the king had hidden himself away, and all efforts 
to find him were fruitless. With a heavy heart, 
Mr. F. left the man, in hopes of being able to do 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 115 

something the next day. He had not, however, left 
him long, when the men cut his throat, and threw his 
body into the river. 

During my stay at Mukumbungu, I heard of many 
sad cases, but Mr. F. and I did not witness them, as 
the natives use every effort to conceal their evil deeds 
from the white man. In a town about an hour's 
journey from the mission, a woman was seized, declared 
to be possessed of a devil, and cut to pieces. The 
report reached us the following day. At first it was 
most surely believed that our missionaries stole the 
spirits of the natives, and sold them. Tlireats of per- 
sonal violence, from the natives of some outlying 
town reached the station again and again. Into these 
towns Mr. F. went, speaking the truth with love 
and holding forth the word of life. He was never 
molested, the God of Daniel being with him. He 
carried no weapon, only a stick, but the angel of the 
Lord was near him. Often have I seen him, seated 
on some fallen palm tree, surrounded by forty or fifty 
heathens, and heard him speak '^ mambu ma moyo,'' 
or words of life. The seed thus sown has already 
brought forth fruit. 



116 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

While at this station I coutracted my first fever ; 
bow I do not ivnow. Some persons who have never 
seen Congo suppose these fevers are caused by swamps. 
Let me say that you may travel for days in Congo, and 
not see a swamp of any size. Others suppose that they 
are caused by the effluvium from the decaying vegeta- 
tion, while others again suppose that the heat in Congo 
is very intense. The vegetation has probably some- 
thing to do with it. As to the heat, ordinarily it was 
not uncomfortably warm, and yet exposure to the sun 
is invariably followed by ill effects. As the result of 
my own experience, I would say tliat exposure and 
fatigue are two prime causes of fever in Congo. 

While at this station we ransomed a little girl named 
Nkebani. It cost us less than fifteen dollars to do this. 
When she was brought to us and offered for safe, she 
was in a very unclean condition. Poor little girl ! how 
little did she realize that this transaction botween the 
white man and her master would be the turning point 
in her life ! After a good deal of talk, the necessary 
number of ^^minlele,'^ or clothes, were handed to her 
master, and Nkebani was free. We at once put her 
to assist our boys in cleaning our rooms, and laying 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 117 

the table, etc. Evidently Nkebani thought we were 
unnecessarily particular about the arrangement of 
things on the table, and the kind of food we ate. 
The first time we got her to wait at the table, she came 
in and promptly squatted on the floor. We said : 
" Nkebani, stand up.'^ 

She obeyed, but at once leaned against the wall. 
"Nkebani, stand here by the table.'^ 
She came forward, and leaned half across the 
table. 

" Nkebani, don't lie on the table in that way; stand 
up so.'' 

She promptly responded, but at first I think she 
regarded it as a kind of punishment. At home (?) 
she had been quite at liberty to lie on the floor, and 
to roll in the dust, if she felt inclined ; why should 
the white man place these restrictions upon her move- 
ments? 

But she was anxious to please, and to make herself 
generally useful. The relative uses of the food and 
condiments on the table sorely puzzled Nkebani. 
Toward the close of our meal she would frequently 
offer the mustard or vinegar to us. Then it appeared 



118 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

easier to push things around the table than to carry 
them ; so instruction was necessary. 

"Nkebani, Aon^t push things; carry them." 

To all these instructions the little girl paid atten- 
tion ; and to-day Nkebani^ who is at Palabala Station, 
is making satisfactory progress. 

The names of our mission boys at Mukumbungu, 
and of others who lived near the station and attended 
school, will be interesting to my readers. They are 
as follows : Lulebako, Kondi, "Wili, Jese, Bayunga, 
Sitakodila, Lubiandu, Makumgisa, Matewanga, Mpe- 
bolo, Kindeli, Baku, Mapingani, Nzuzi, Teka, Ma- 
zela, Bafuka, Mayola, Nkoba, Nkomo, Ngumba, 
Maboza, Ngoma. Many of these have been baptized 
on confession of their faith in the Lord Jesus. 

One evening, about sunset, as I was seated outside 
in the veranda, three men called. Each of them car- 
ried a small bundle, and a supply of native food. 
The whole of the face of one of them was tatooed in 
a wonderful manner. This was the spokesman. Ad- 
vancing to where I sat, he bowed and begged to be 
permitted to stay all night in the Loangos' quarters. 
He spoke English fairly well. On inquiry, I found 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 119 

they were from the Island of Fernando Po. They 
had engaged to go to Stanley Pool^ tb work for the 
English Baptist Mission. The tatooed man said that 
one of their number had been taken sick one week 
before, and had just died one day behind. His story 
appeared straightforward, and we believed it. Of 
course, we made inquiries. 

"How long since you came to Banana ?^^ 

" Two weeks and half a week.^^ 

" What time did you start from Tundua ? ^^ 

"Two weeks pass.'^ 

"Well, where have you been on the road so 
long?^' 

" This man he take sick one week pass.'^ 

" Did you take care of him ? ^^ 

" Yes, masta, we do our best.^^ 

" Where is the sick man now ? " 

" He die, masta." 

"When did he die?" 

" One day pass, when the sun was there '^ (pointing). 

"And you are sure you buried him?" 

" Yes, masta." 

There was every evidence of sincerity and truth- 



120 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

fulness in their replies, so we thought no more of 
them, when they departed on the morrow. 

Five days after this, Mr. F. went for a missionary 
tour in the direction of Banza Manteke. Returning 
in the evening, and when about a mile and a half 
from the station, he was informed by some natives 
that there was a sick man near the roadside. With 
the aid of the natives he found the man in a ditch, 
entirely naked, and in a dying state. 

Leaving his man by him, Mr. F. hurried home 
for my hammock, to carry the poor fellow to our 
place. Our men brought him to the station, and 
we placed him in the house of the Loangos. He was 
unable to speak, and notwithstanding all our efforts 
he died in about eighteen hours. He was horribly 
emaciated, having lived at least six days and six 
nights without any food. Having nothing to pay the 
natives, they of course refused him any assistance. 
They did not even come and tell us, sa utterly selfish 
are these dark souls. The poor fellow was undoubt- 
edly taken ill on the road and deserted by his com- 
panions, after they had stripped him of the few things 
he possessed. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 121 

The morning after he died, our Loango men buried 
him near the mission, in a spot we selected for a 
burying ground. As we stood around the open 
grave, with all our boys and men, I looked into it 
where the body lay, covered only by a blanket and a 
*^ twanda '^ mat, and I thought : " This is the first 
grave ; whose will be the next ? ^^ 



CHAPTER XII. 

HUNTING — ZINZOU ZAZINGI— PACE Ta FACE — STILL IN DEATH— 
A DELICATE MORSEL. 

TTEARS ago, when we went to school, little was 
-*- known of Central Africa. We had some knowl- 
edge of the countries of the coast, but the great inte- 
rior was as a sealed book. From Cape Bon in the 
north to Cape of Good Hope in the south, from Cape 
Guardafai in the east to Cape Verde in the west, it 
was, for the most part, " The Dark Continent.'^ Our 
maps of Africa were marked "Unexplored Inte- 
rior,^^ " Great Desert,'^ etc. This was particularly the 
case in regard to the Congo country. Captain Tuckey 
in 1816 sailed up the river for about one hundred 
and ten miles. Coming to the Yelala Falls, he could 
proceed no farther. Of the vast regions beyond that, 
nothing definite was known until, in 1877, the great 
explorer, Henry M. Stanley, came down the Congo, 
having crossed the continent from Zanzibar. New 

explorers and missionaries have penetrated into the 
122 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 123 

interior, and have discovered fruitful countries, in- 
habited by numerous tribes and teeming with animal 
life. In some regions countless herds of elephants 
and buffaloes roam over its vast plains, or wade along 
the banks of its mighty rivers, while in the deep 
shade of the jungle is the home of the leopard. In 
other parts the king of the forest and rhinoceros are 
raonarchs of all they survey. In its waters are found 
the ponderous hippopotamus and the crocodile, with 
its hard, scaly hide. 

Hunting the elephant and buffalo is attended with 
considerable peril, and much judgment and caution is 
necessary in order to approach them with reasonable 
safety. Here the services of a native are invaluable. 
He knows their haunts ; he is familiar with their modes 
of defense ; he can tell when they are angry and 
about to charge; he will enter the jungle, with cat- 
like step, and discover their position. In these re- 
spects the African is superior to the most intelligent 
white man. 

During our residence in the Congo country, we had 
several adventures with buffaloes and elephants. Not 
that we ever made a point of hunting, as our time was 



124 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

too precious ; but there were times when we could 
win the friendship of the natives by going to their 
help ; and this was something not to be lost sight of. 

One afternoon, while at Mukumbungu Station, some 
natives ran up excitedly, and said : 

" Oh, mundele, zinzou zazingi ; zina muna mavia 
metu/^ 

In English that would mean : "Oh, white man, 
there are many elephants in our fields/^ 

" When did you see them ? '^ 

"This morning, ^ nsuka, nsuka^^^ (early, early). 

" Are there any male elephants ? ^^ 

" Yes, white man, there are.'^ 

" Can you not shoot them with your guns ? '' 

" No, white man ; our guns are not as good as 
yours." 

" Well, see here ; because we are your friends, we 
will come to help you in the morning." 

"Mabiza, mundele" (Good, white man). 

We prepared to start early next morning. Mr. 
F. and myself, well equipped, and attended by two 
men and our boys, to carry our water bottles, um- 
brellas, and guns, started two hours before daylight, 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 125 

SO as to find the elephants before they retired into the 
forest for the forenoon. After a pretty hard walk of 
ten miles, through tall grass, tangled creepers, and 
brushwood, our men became cautious, and presently 
one of them exclaimed : 

" Nguilu e nzou " (I hear an elephant). 

There was no mistaking that sound — urmph, urmph, 
urmph. With guns cocked, we followed our guide 
to the edge of the forest.* There, right before us, was 
a huge male elephant, with massive tusks. We shall 
not soon forget our feelings at that moment. Taking 
aim as well as the trees would permit, we both fired 
and the monster fell. Rising instantly, it plunged 
through the forest in the direction of the Kuilu River. 
Though we followed as fast as possible, we could not 
overtake it. Outside the forest the whole herd ap- 
peared, fully thirty in all, and all making for the 
liver. It is a noted fact, that whenever elephants are 
attacked, they will at once make for the nearest river, 
evidently to get rid of their pursuers. The large 
male which was wounded kept in the rear, between 
us and the other elephants. The chase grew exciting. 
The sun was fearfully hot, and we were out of breath. 



126 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

Two more shots were fired, and a female elephant fell. 
Reaching the top of a ridge near the river, we were 
compelled to take a brief rest, while our men con- 
tinued the pursuit. Down on the plain by the river, 
our men made a brave and last attack upon the herd 
before they swam across. Again and again the large 
male turned upon our men with uplifted trunk, and 
each time he met the deadly bullet. It was an excit- 
ing scene. Into the river the whole herd plunged, 
and swam to the other side. Not all, however, for 
the wounded female died midstream, and began to float 
down. The male reached the other side, but was so 
severely wounded, that he died from loss of blood. 
He was afterward found "tremendous still in death.'' 
We were anxious to get the ears and tusks of the 
female, while our men were equally anxious to get 
" zimbizi zazingi,'^ or plenty of meat. But we felt 
the risk was too great, so we persuaded them to 
abandon the carcass. We called their attention to a 
crocodile, and warned the men to keep out of the 
river. The temptation was too strong, and two stal- 
wart natives plunged into the water, shouting the 
meanwhile, to frighten the crocodiles. It was an 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 127 

anxious moment for us all, as we kept our guns 
pointed at tlie river, in case a crocodile appeared. 
We had seen a la-rge one, fully twelve feet long, 
higher up the river, but happily he remained there. 
Our men, who were greatly excited, towed the dead 
elephant to the bank. 

The natives were thankful to us for saving their 
crops, and for furnishing them with plenty of meat. 
It was now dark, and we were many miles from our 
station. We trudged along as well as we could 
through the darkness. Our house was built of clay 
walls and grass roof, and could not boast of windows ; 
yet how cheerful it seemed on our return mat night, 
for it was our home ! Our people met us with shouts 
of joy, and, to convince them that we had been suc- 
cessful, we showed the trunk, which had been carried 
home upon the shoulders of our men, and which is 
considered by the Congo people as the most delicate 
part of the elephant. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

LUKUNGU — ELEPHANTS AND CROCODILES— THE SWING BRIDGE 
— LOST HIS BALANCE — GYMNAST. 

T UKUNGU station is about two hundred and 
-*-^ thirty miles from Banana, and was established 
in 1882. The mission buildings are close to the river 
called the Lukungu, which is from twenty to forty 
vards wide. The Cono;o Free State authorities have 
a station one mile from the mission. This station 
was formerly occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Ingham. 
Mr. Ingham has slain many a lordly elephant which 
came too near his deadly rifle. The fact that he has 
actually killed " zinzou zazingi '^ (many elephants) 
has raised him very high in the estimation of the 
natives. In the Lukungu River crocodiles are found, 
and are sometimes quite troublesome. Once, when 
Mr. Ingham was there, a crocodile came out of the 
river for several nights, and tried to get the pigs. He 
was thinkinor of sending; to Banza Manteke for a 

tiger trap, when one of the little boys came running 

128 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 129 

and told him that he could see it. Mr. Ingham shot it 
under the strong plate which protects the ear ; and all 
hands being unable to drag it out of the river, they 
towed it around to a little stream, and tied it up for 
the night, the Kru boys looking forward to " plenty 
beer^ on the morrow. 

The next day it was skinned and cut open. In its 
stomach was found a portion of a pig, one hundred 
and five stones, two copper anklets, of native make, 
such as women wxar, and two red beads. The anklets 
and beads were afterward identified as belonging to a 
woman named *^ Vanga Mbote." The crocodile was 
fifteen feet in length, and four feet nine inches and a 
half round the body. The natives were horrified at 
the sight of the anklets, and the Kru boys would not 
eat any of the meat. 

As it was often necessary to cross the river to reach 

the market, and Mayambula, and other towns, the 

brethren built a bridge. Some of my readers w^ould 

not want to cross such a " kiamvu,^^ or bridge. 

Nearly opposite the station are several large trees, 

witli their branches reachino; far over the water. Bv 

the aid of creepers from the forest, twined together 

I 



130 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

in a sort of network, a swing bridge was formed. 
This was secured to the trees on one side, and 
stretched across to those on the opposite side, at 
an elevation of about twenty feet. It was shaky, and 
gave one the impression of walking on air, but it was 
tolerably safe. We have seen more than one creep 
over it in a horizontal position, not daring to stand 
up. It was like taking exercise on a tight rope, or 
rather a slack rope. Natives seldom ventured over 
it with loads, but went across the ford. One native 
who did attempt it came to grief. I was standing 
near the bridge at the time. Our friend had three 
little barrels of gunpowder, tied together with palm 
branches, carrying upon his head. Mounting the 
approach to the bridge, he ventured to cross, and did 
reach the centre of the bridge, where he lost his equi- 
librium, and after a short but severe struggle, he 
went down, twenty feet into the river. Like a cork 
he rose, still grasping his kegs of powder, and strug- 
gled to the side, and then crossed by the ford. I was 
really sorry for our poor friend, and inquired if he 
were hurt, though the temptation to laugh was irre- 
sistible. The manner in which he seized those kegs. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 131 

and struck off across the shallow water, clearly showed 
that no bones were broken. 

One day as I was about to mount the bridge, I dis- 
turbed a sleeping crocodile, and, with a sudden start, 
he plunged into the water. Our little boys had often 
bathed in that same pool. A monkey of a large 
species used to come to the trees around our bridge. 
For what purpose I cannot say. His gymnastic 
powers were simply marvelous. How lightly he 
vaulted from branch to branch ; from tree to tree ; 
from side to side ! They are fond of peanuts, and 
often make a raid on the natives' peanut gardens. 
The natives, too, are fond of monkey, and sometimes 
capture one who has fattened on tlieir peanuts. Snakes 
are occasionally met with. One day when seated in 
our mission house, a snake coiled around the ridge- 
pole, looked down, and surveyed his surroundings. 
Seizing my gun, I fired through the roof, and shot the 
creature through the middle, and found his length 
nearly six feet. One day my boy ^^ Kivwila^' found 
a little lizard under my pillow, while making my bed. 
It measured four and a half inches, and its bite is 
poisonous. 



132 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

During the hottest weather, I left the shutters of 
my bedroom windows open. There was no glass, 
and one night, about 11 p. M., some animal probably 
a bush cat, jumped through a window, near my bed, 
and after upsetting the crockery, sprang through the 
opposite window. 

Early one morning I was called to see a man who 
had been shot. He lived in the town of Mayambula. 
In another town a man had been taken sick, and this 
native of Mayambula was declared to be the cause. 
The sick man's friends, with an ^' nganga,'' came and 
demanded him who caused the sickness. They would 
not give him up. That night, under cover of the 
darkness, a friend of the sick man came stealthily to 
the town of Mayambula and shot the innocent vic- 
tim. I found him lying on his side, and groaning 
piteously. On his hip was a gaping wound, where 
the slugs had penetrated. I could not extract them, 
nor could anything be done, save to relieve the pain. 
In the evening, after I left, an '^ nganga " foolishly 
tried to probe the wound and extract the slugs, but 
of course, without any effect It only hastened his 
death, which took place that night. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

PAYING THE CARRIERS — DIFFICULT TO SATISFY — REJOICING IN 
HIS RICHES— CONQUERED AT LAST. 

11 f*Y readers are aware that there is a Cataract region in 
■^'-*- Congo. For a distance of two hundred and thirty- 
miles the river is not navigable, owing to a series of 
cataracts and rapids. The first is the Yelala Falls, 
one hundred and fifteen miles from the mouth of the 
river; then there are other falls and rapids, about 
thirty-two in all, extending to Leopoldville, or Stanley- 
Pool. The " Henry Eeed,'' the missionary steamer, 
was carried overland this entire distance, on the heads 
of native and other carriers. 

All requisites for up country stations have to be 
conveyed in this manner, though the same caravans 
do not carry them the entire distance. One caravan 
may carry the goods from Tundua to Palabala ; then 
another will carry them forward to Lukungu ; while 
a third will carry them to the Pool. It is common to 

speak of Leopoldville as the Pool. It is also known 

133 



134 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

as Kintamo, and has yet another name, Mpumbulu. 
How many more I cannot say. If possible, each of 
the loads is limited to sixty-four pounds gross. It is 
not easy to persuade a native to carry a heavier load 
than that, though he may do so for an extra consid- 
eration. When carrying on his own account, a native 
will frequently struggle along under a burden of one 
hundred and twenty pounds. But the missionary 
should not and does not expect it. The native, too, 
is particular as to the nature, the shape, the size, and 
the bulk of his load. A coil of brass wire may 
weigh seventy pounds, while a large tin trunk, with 
clothing, may be under sixty. The native will 
usually prefer the coil of wire, because of its small- 
ness and compactness and because it may be handled 
a little more roughly. Another reason is that, owing 
to the tall grass sometimes overhanging the road like 
an arch, it is difficult to make satisfactory progress 
with a bulky article on the head. Sometimes, too, a 
native is apt to judge the weight of an article accord- 
ing to its size. The missionary or other traveler will 
deal with these little difificulties as best he can. 

As yet there is no currency in the country. Fowls, 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 135 

sheep, goats, fish, potatoes, ^^ kuanga/^ fruits, and other 
things have to be purchased ; carriers and other work- 
men have to be paid. Money is of little value to the 
native, having no purchasing power. If he received 
it, it w^ould only be to use it for ornamental purposes. 
It cannot be used for the necessaries of life, nor 
exchanged for the ivory of the interior. There is a 
currency, but it varies in different parts. It may be 
'^ nganata '^ beads at Palabala ; blue beads at Lukungu 
and brass rods at the Pool or the Equator. Hence it 
will be seen that it costs something to take our money 
or currency up country. Carriers do not demand pay- 
ment in currency. They will take cloth or handker- 
chiefs. They also get beads or knives to purchase food 
while traveling. 

Hunting up men, arranging as to the pay, marshal- 
ing them in order, giving out and receiving loads, and 
paying the carriers, takes up a good deal of the time 
and taxes the patience of the missionary. One who 
has had any experience with these caravans will be 
careful to select the strongest men, and to give out the 
heaviest loads first. If he distributes the lighter 
loads first, the heavy ones will probably be left behind. 



136 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

An unwilling, lazy, or troublesome carrier may be 
chaffed, coaxed, encouraged, warned or even threatened 
with advantage. 

Starting a caravan is an exciting time. Disputes 
with each other, and high words, are the order of the 
day. Each man has something important to say, and 
must have a hearing. The ^* kapita," or leader of 
the caravan, has his hands full, and indeed frequently 
requires the assistance of the missionary. Some " ka- 
pitas '^ have the necessary qualities of a leader, and the 
men are quick to perceive this. All being ready for 
the march, we give the signal of command, ^' Tu 
kuenda kuetu ^^ (we go), and away we start. Once the 
men are fairly under way, there is little more trouble. 

The arrival of a caravan causes more excitement 
than the departure of one, because the carriers have 
not only to deposit their loads, but also to receive their 
pay. This to them is an all-important event. The 
loads are received, checked, and examined, then the 
carriers will receive so many pieces of cloth, accord- 
ing to agreement. They crowd around the little door 
of the store, each one speaking vociferously. These 
^^minlele,'^ or cloths, are really common prints, and 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 137 

worth about fifty cents each. One piece is equal in 
size to about twelve handkerchiefs, the prints being 
usually bright colored and attractive in appearance. 
The carrier may use a portion of his cloth to wear 
around his loins, or he may store it up so as to pur- 
chase a wife or a slave, or he may use it to trade in 
the markets. They are very particular as to the de- 
sign and color of the print. Some prints cause quite a 
boom, and become popular in the district for a time. 
Others, quite as good, may lie for a long time in the 
store, before they can be disposed of. It is a mistake 
to suppose that anything will attract the attention of 
the Congo native, or that they may be easily imposed 
upon. They will examine the cloth with the air of a 
"connoisseur,^^ measure its width, determine its quality, 
ascertain its length, and see if it has printed colors on 
both sides. ' 

The missionary has the names of the carriers on 
the manifest or way-bill. These names he calls, the 
calls being repeated vigorously by the men — " Ndunga, 
Kalandenga, Mayengisa.'^ Each man responds to his 
name. 

" Here is your pay.'' 



138 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

^^ I don't want that, white man ; I want that other 
cloth you used to give/' 

" That is all gone ; you must take this/' 

" You don't give enough, white man." 

^^I give you all I promised on your ^nkanda'" 
(book). 

"Give me one handkerchief or a knife?" 

" No, this is your pay ; will you take it ? '^ 

"Ah, no, white man ; I won't." 

"You won't take it? Well, next man — Kalan- 
denga, come on." 

" These cloths are not long enough." 

" Yes, they are the right length. See, I will meas- 
ure it." 

" I want ^ malensua ' " (handkerchiefs). 

" Well, here they are." 

" That color is not good, white man.'^ 

"Won't you take this cloth or these handker- 
chiefs?" 

"Ye, mundele; ka mbote ko " (No, white man; 
they are not good). 

" Well, if you do not like these things, go away 
now, and come again. I must go, and can not wait 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 139 

any longer. See, I lock the door, and go to our 
school. ^^ 

The missionary then goes into the house, while the 
carriers will hold a prolonged discussion in the yard. 
Gradually their excitement abates, and they depute 
one of their number — generally the " kapita ^^ — to tell 
the missionary that they will accept his terms. 

" Mundele.'^ 

^^Well, whatisit?'^ 

" The men will take the cloth.'' 

" Will they take the quantity they agreed upon ? '' 

'^ Yes, ^ ki diambu ko ' '' (no palaver — literally, no 
word). 

And each man departs, rejoicing in his riches. 



CHAPTER XV. 

MAVUZl'S LETTER — KIVUILA'S LETTER — MARKETS IN CONGO — 
IN THE MARKET — THE SITE OF THE MARKET — THINGS FOR 
SALE — TEMPTING MORSELS — THEFT IN THE MARKET — AWFUL 
PUNISHMENT. 

TT7HILE staying at Lukungu, I asked some of our 
^ * boys to write a letter or two, that I might pre- 
sent them to ray friends in America. They thought 
it was a good idea, and so commenced the great under- 
taking of writing a letter, or rather letters. The boy 
Mavuzi was able to write in English. Here is a copy 

of his letter. 

LuKUNGU Station Mission. 

August the 29th (1886). 

My dear friends: I hope you are all quit well as we are in 
present of God. 

I am very glad to see that God is sending some more mis- 
sions (missionaries) to tell us the love of Jesus Christ. 

I wish you will come out in Congo to tell thous (those) wich 
have not heard the wonderful story of Jesus and his love, and 
I am learning more about Jesus so that I may tell my own 
people about Jesus. There are plenty souls lost here. Let 
us thank God because he have send his Holy Spirit at Mbanza 
Manteke and I am very glad because a sister of mine she is 
saved. 
140 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 141 

Let us think what Jesus said when he was in the world. 
And he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach 
the gospel to every creature. 

Mission (missionary) which has been with me tells me about 
Christian young men in America. I send my love to them all. 

I remain your friend in Jesus, 

Frederick Meyer Mavitzi. 
Congo hoy. 

When Mavuzi presented his letter, I said " Thank 
you, Mavuzi. I will show it to many friends in 
America.'^ This appeared to please him. There was 
one boy at the station of whom I was very fond. 
His name was Kivuila. He scarcely spoke any Eng- 
lish, so I desired him to attempt a letter in the Ki- 
kongo language. He readily consented, and after 
several hours, produced the following, a few words of 
which we give as he wrote it : 

LuKUNGU Station. 
Engua bakundi bami Nzambi diadi kiavesila emindele 
miayiza kutulongi. Tutondele kuetu beni. Wau yetu tuki- 
longanga nkonta a Jesus, kansi wantu kabanzaidi nkonta a 
Jesus ko. 

The following is a free translation of it : 
'' Dear friends of mine, God that send white men to 
come us teach, we thank we much. Now we learn- 



142 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

iijg about Jesus. But people no they know about 
Jesus no. People they kill one another only. I 
working in house mission or season (year) three or 
four. We reading book about words of God. White 
men of us teaching words of wonder of Jesus. Peo- 
ple they will not believe Jesus and they will not be- 
lieve words of his. Sister of mine staying across the 
water, and brothers also and mother of mine dead 
seasons of many.^^ 

Some of the writer's words are unintelligible and 
hence are by no means easy to decipher and translate. 

In the Lukungu district there are several markets. 
These as well as the other markets of Congo are full 
of interest to the traveler as well as to the aborigines 
of the country. Here the missionary or explorer has 
an opportunity to replenish his supply of food. There 
is, of course, a wide diiference between the markets of 
Congo and the bazaars of Eastern lands, and great 
changes must evidently take place before our mission- 
aries can present the gospel at these markets with 
any degree of success. At other times and places, 
they will usually listen respectfully to the ^' mambu 
ma nzenza,'' or strange words of tlie missionary, but 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 143 

during the few hours they are at the market, they are 
so taken up with buying, selling, and looking on, that 
the missionary cannot command their attention. I do 
not blame them for this. It is desirable to speak to 
them in crowds. The time may come when the mar- 
ket w^ill aiford better opportunities. At the begin- 
ning of the market, they are busily engaged fixing 
their wares; those that remain to the close are usually 
loafers, half muddled with stale palm wine, from some 
calabash, and in anything but a fit condition to listen 
to the words of life. I say I am not blaming them 
for being interested in buying and selling. It would 
not be easy to win the attention of people in any one 
of our own markets. It would hardly be considered 
wise to attempt it. Still, the missionary in Congo 
rarely misses an opportunity to sow the seed of the 
kingdom — in the native town, by the wayside, at the 
mission station, nor even at the market. ., 

v^rhere are four days in the Congo week. Here 
they are: "Konzo," "Nkenge,^' "Nsona," Nkandu.'^ 
On each of these days a market is held somewhere. 
Local markets are commonly called by the day on 
which they are held. A love of trading is character- 



144 LIFE AND SCENES IN CX)NGO. 

istic of the African, though by no means confined to 
that race. If a Congo man has a pig to sell, and a 
purchaser is at hand to-day, the owner will wait 
until the morrow, and sell it at the market. Even 
the little children love to buy and sell. Each person 
loves to feel that he has an active interest in the 
affairs of life. As Mrs. H. G. Guinness says : " The 
market, to the natives of Africa, seems to be what 
the Royal Exchange is to the merchants of London, 
the universal and important rendezvous." Stanley 
graphically describes the African markets : 

^' These markets on the banks of the Congo, at in- 
tervals of three or four miles, are central resorts of 
the aborigines from either bank, and considered as 
neutral ground, which no chief may claim, nor any 
individual assert claims of tribute for. 

"Many of them are wide grassy spaces under the 
shade of mighty spreading trees, affording admira- 
ble river scenes for an artist. 

"In the background, is the deep black forest, 
apparently impenetrable in its density; here and 
there a taller giant, having released itself from ac- 
quaintance and familiarity, overlooks its neighbors; 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 145 

its branches are favored by the white-collared eagle 
and the screaming ibis. Here and there rise the 
feathery and graceful fronds of the elseis palm. In 
the foreground flows the broad, brown river. In the 
morniug, on market days, the grassy plots are thronged. 
From the depths of the forest, and from isolated 
clearings, from lonely islands, and from the open 
country of the '' Bakusu/^ come together the abo- 
rigines with their baskets of ^^ cassava,'' their mats -of 
pahn fibre and sedge, their gourds of palm wine, 
their beans and maize, millet and sugar cane, crockery, 
and the handiwork of their artisans in copper and 
iron and wood, the vermilion camwood, their vegeta* 
bles, and fruit of banana and plantain, their tobacco 
and pipes and bangles, their fish nets and baskets, 
fish, and a multitude of things which their wants and 
tastes Iiave taught them to produce. 

^*A11 is animation and eager chatter until noon, 
when the place becomes silent again and untenanted, 
a prey to gloom and shade, where the hawk and the 
eagle, the ibis, the grey parrot, and the monkey may 
fly, and scream, and howl undisturbed." 

The money or currency is brass rods, ^'cowries" 

K 



146 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

(small sliells), blue beads, white beads, and formerly 
iron wire. In the Congo market, rats find a ready 
sale. Often have we seen the vendor of rats takino: 
his place in the busy throng with his commodity, 
which the native is very expert in catching. With a 
small basket trap of his own construction, he will 
disturb the rats by beating or burning the tall grass, 
and will invariably secure his prize. After he has 
captured a number, he will singe the hair off and fix 
them on rods — say ten on each rod. In this condi- 
tion he offers the tempting morsels for sale. 

The butcher of the market is an object of interest. 
He drives his pig to market, and kills it just outside 
the circle of trade. He cooks it, also, partially. As 
a sign of his calling, the butcher takes a piece of fat, 
and secures it to the top of his head by means of a 
skewer. The natives sometimes get very excited in 
trading, and can hardly control themselves. Under 
the influence of palm wine, guns and other weapons 
would be dangerous instruments in their hands, and 
they are conscious of this. Because of this, for their 
own safety, they have a law which forbids any one to 
carry a gun within the limits of the market. All 



LIFE AND SCENI>^ IN CONGO. 147 

who bring weapons must hide them in the grass out- 
side the market place, and any one who violates this 
law, endangers his own life. Although the punish- 
ment for stealing at the market is so terribly severe, 
yet instances of theft are by no means of rare occur- 
rence. A thief may possibly escape with his life the 
first time, if he has friends who can pacify the injured 
parties; but for the second offense there is no escape, 
be he chief or slave. This is not because of their 
admiration for the negative commandment, known to 
us as the eighth in the decalogue, but because they 
find it absolutely necessary, in order to make their 
markets a success; or, at least, they appear to think 
that these severe laws are necessary. Apart from 
that, honesty, be it remembered, is not a predominat- 
ing virtue in a Congo native. When a thief is cap- 
tured, he is speedily condemned to die, and that 
sentence is quickly carried into effect. ^^ 

I stood in the centre of a large market, with a 
native, looking sadly at the many graves. 

"Are all these mounds graves?'^ I asked. 

"Yes, white man, ^minkala mia yevi'^' (graves of 
thieves). 



)/ 



148 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

^^ Thieves! — why, what did they steal ?^' 

^' They came to the ^ zandu^ (market), and they were 
caught stealing/^ 

^^But do you put to death those that steal in the 
market?'^ 

"Kedika, muudele'^ (Truth, white man). 

^^Tell me how.'^ 

"Sometimes they shoot them; or they may strangle 
them, or kill them with the knife; or they may put 
them into a hut, fill it with grass, and then burn them 
alive.'^ 

" What is that sticking up through the top of the 
grave ? " 

"It is a piece of a gun. That man would bring 
his ^nkeli' (gun) into the market; so they killed him, 
buried his body in that hole, and stuck his gun 
through his body.'^ 

With a sickenino; sensation I turned awav from 
the mound-like graves and the protruding gun 
stocks. 

The noise and excitement at a Congo market is 
very great. The Makwekwe market is frequently 
attended by from five hundred to one thousand people. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 149 

Two hours in such a market is sufficient to bring on a 
splitting headache. Stanley says : 

*'Hovv like any other market place it was, with its 
noise and murmur of human voices. The same 
rivalry in extolling their wares, the eager, quick 
motion, the emphatic gesture, the inquisitive look, 
the facial expressions of scorn and triumph, anxiety, 
joy, plausibility were all there.'^ 

Oh, that they were as anxious to hear and receive 
the gospel, as they are to buy and sell and get gain ! 



CHAPTER XVI. 

STANLEY POOL — THE BATEKE—LEOPOLDVILLE— UPPER CONGO 
TRADERS — ON BOARD THE HENRY REED — THE BEAUTIES OP 
THE POOL — NO KETCH BOTTOM — A FROG CONCERT — THE EN 
AVANT — EXTENDED JAWS — A NARROW ESCAPE— CLOCK POINT 
— SEIZED BY A CROCODILE— U-P-R-A-A — BOLOBO — BOLOBO NA- 
TIVES — LET GO THAT FISH — MALAMU BAA — MODE OF EXECU- 
TION — A WEIRD SCENE — NYAMA BAA — WA-T-CH — COLLARS NOT 
OF LINEN — KILLED BY A BUFFALO. 

IMMEDIATELY after leaving Lukungu, the 
-■- character of the people alters very perceptibly. 
The chiefs appear to be more important; the towns 
are larger, and the buildings somewhat more substan- 
tial; domestic slavery is carried on to a greater 
extent, and the native market becomes a centre of 
great interest. In the line of travel between Lukungu 
and Stanley Pool, there is a very important market, 
called the Makwekwe market. This is a central 
meeting place for the busy native traders. 

After crossing the deep and swift Nkisi River, the 
people are known as "Ba-ntandu,'' which may be 

translated as Higldanders. Hitherto, they have not 
150 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 151 

proved themselves to be a very enterprising people. 
The frequent passing of travelers up and down the 
country has had a beneficial effect upon them, and 
thev are becomino; somewhat more industrious, and 
more disposed to welcome the traveler and missionary. 
About two days from Stanley Pool, we first came in 
contact with the Ba-wumbu tribe. These people are, 
to some extent, in the ivory trade with the Bateke 
people, who live beyond. Their chief interest, how- 
ever, is in their immense mandioca fields, their fowls, 
and their goats. They are of a rather better disposi- 
tion than the Bantandu people, and usually give a 
welcome to the passing traveler. Of the Bateke 
people who liv^e around Stanley Pool, or Leopold ville, 
Dr. Sims very properly says : 

" They are great thieves, and difficult to barter with ; 
they like to buy cheap and sell dear; are extremely 
exorbitant in their demands, are impertinent, rude, 
and brusque. The chiefs wear plenty of cloth, trail- 
ing it on the ground in pretentious fashion, ; clean, as 
regards the skin, but never washing their garments, 
thinking highly of them when colored with red 
sandal wood, dye, and dirt. The coiffure is exceed- 



152 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

iugly well done as a chignon, a brass or iron hairpin 
projecting from it. 

"Ked, yellow, and white clay is sometimes used to 
put a square around an eye, sometimes to draw a 
diagonal line from ear to chin, down the forehead and 
nose, or across the eyelids and nose. Streaks are 
also run down the abdomen and down the arms." 

The Bateke at Kintamo are largely engaged in 
commercial pursuits — that is, they are great traders in 
slaves and ivory. Each Bateke chief prides himself 
in the number of his slaves, who together with his 
wives and children, form a numerous household. As 
a tribe, the Bateke do not till the soil. They are 
traders rather than agriculturists. From the Bayanzi, 
who live bevond them, thev buv fish and fermented 
liquors, and from the Bambuno, they obtain fowls, 
goats, peanuts, and ^^ kwanga.'' 

The natives who live on the banks of the upper 
Congo make long voyages for trading purposes. 
This they do in canoes. It is an interesting sight to 
see several large trading canoes, each containing thirty 
to thirty-eight people, and a large quantity of barter 
goods, passing up the river, working their paddles to 



i 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 153 

a monotonous chant, and keeping near the shore, so 
as to have the benefit of the back current. These 
traders often travel by night. When they do so, they 
chant most vigorously, and blow several huge ivory 
horns, to signfy to the natives in the towns along the 
banks, that they have peaceable (?) intentions. Right 
w^ell do I remember being roused from my sleep, to 
stand and gaze at tiiese peace-loving traders, our 
dwelling at that time being right on the south bank 
of the Congo, and about eight hundred miles from 
the coast. A boy or man stands at the prow of the 
canoe, holding aloft a flaming torch, made from 
gum-copal. The effect on a clear dark night is very 
striking. 

Stanley Pool is difficult to navigate on account of 
the numerous sandbanks. In some places, however, 
it is very deep. Large numbers of hippopotami and 
crocodiles sport in these waters, but it is not easy to 
capture them. Much of the land around Stanley 
Pool is thickly wooded, and, in these woods, with 
their dense brushwood, and tangled creepers and tall 
grass, snakes are sometimes found. One large snake 
fully eight feet in length came and took our fowls. 



154 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

This was repeated again and again. Before we could 
get our gun, he disappeared in the long grass, and to 
look for him would have been madness. One of our 
mission men, however, ultimately shot a large speci- 
men, as he was trying to gorge a fowl which he had 
seized. 

There are several small steamers at Stanley Pool, 
including the American Baptist Mission Steamer, the 
'' Henry Reed.^^ On this pretty little craft we made 
a voyage to our Equator Station, about four hundred 
and fifty miles. It gave us an oportunity of seeing 
more of the beauties of the Pool, and also something 
of the natives who live along the river's banks. 
On board we had Mr. B., the engineer; Mr. W., 
of the English Baptist Mission ; and Capt. Masari, 
an Italian explorer, who was going up the Mobanga 
Eiver. We had also twelve natives and Loangos; six 
Zanzibaris and six boys. These were employed as 
woodchoppers, firemen, cook, washerman, throwing 
the lead, and other duties. Our steamer was heavilv 
laden. We had also a whale boat with us, filled with 
an extra supply of firewood. 

The departure of the steamer from Stanley Pool 




LIFE AND SCENES INT CONGO. 155 

for the great interior is always au interesting event. 
Will anything happen? Will she ever return? Will 
she come to grief on rocks or sandbanks ? Will she 
fall into the hands of treacherous natives ? Who can 
tell? All was ready. Mr. G,, Baron von Nymptsh 
and others go on shore. The ropes are cast off; the 
signal is given ; we swing around. The white men 
on shore, and a crowd of wondering natives, give us 
a cheer, to which we all respond right heartily, and 
away we go, our objective point being eight hundred 
miles from the coast. As we moved away from the 
last trace of civilization, my prayer was, " May we be 
kept from rocks and storms and evil men ; may we 
get to the desired haven.'' I cannot, in a few words, 
describe the varied beauties of Stanley Pool. It is 
about two hundred and fifty square miles in extent. 
In the centre there is a large island, inhabited by 
elephants, buffalo, and other animals. These creatures 
swim to and from the mainland with ease. Stanley 
Pool has some seventeen islands, the largest of which 
is thirteen miles in length. '^Innumerable water 
birds,'' says a writer, "storks, pelicans, cormorants, 
herons, egrets, sacred ibises, spur- winged and 



156 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 



Egyptian geese, terns and plovers, frequent the thick 
tangles of the high grass, and the many sandbanks." 
Look at the hippo, fifty yards away; and there's 
another, and another. Thev must wei2:h several tons 
each. What mouths! What big heads! I would 
like to put a few bullets into the head of one of them, 
so that our men might rejoice over his flesh. With a 
dash and a plunge, they descend into the depths, leav- 
ing the disturbed water to tell where they have gone 
down. And look — -just beyond, there are crocodiles, 
submerged in the water, or on the sandbank, basking 
in the sun We are interested in them, but what 
must they think of us? We have hitherto been the 
lords of these waters, but now there are big things 
around us and floating over our heads, and defying 
even us. 

The strong waters of Kalina Point are passed in 
safety. This point takes its name from Lieutenant 
Kalina, a member of the Congo Free State, who was 
drowned while attempting to pass the river in a canoe. 

The French station " Mfwa '^ on the north bank is 
now sighted, and w^e make for the north side of the 
long island. The weather was lovely, and of course 



m 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 157 

we were a happy party on board, and had an enjoy- 
able time. 

Dover Cliifs, on the northwest of the Pool, are 
really grand. They are formed of white sandstone ; 
and as you approach them, you are reminded of some 
great cathedral. Their ■ summits crowned with soft, 
green grass, their white walls reflecting the morning's 
sunlight, make a very fine picture. It is best seen 
at a distance, however, as, if you attempt to run on 
the shore, and step on the bank, you find to your 
dismay that you are on and in a large bed of quick- 
sand. The current is rapid on the whole, and it took 
us seven and a half hours steaming to get out of the 
Pool. The sandbanks were at this time hidden by 
about two feet of water, so that it made navigation 
somewhat difficult. We kept a man constantly occu- 
pied in throwing out the lead. His sonorous voice 
Avould be heard after each heave of the lead : " And 
a half two." "By de mark fo\" "By de mark 
tree.'' " N-o ketch bottom." 

We yerily sailed into the dusk of evening, as it 
was nearly dark when we dropped anchor for the 
night. Anchoring for the night is an important mat- 



158 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

ter on this river, as a storm may come on, and cause 
the anchor to drag, or a floating island may strike the 
steamer. Hence it is desirable to lie close to the shore, 
if the trees do not prevent it. We had sufficient 
accommodation in our little cabin for five or six to 
sleep ; but Mr. W. and myself preferred to sleep out- 
side, on the top of the cabin. There was an awning 
over the whole steamer, and we fixed curtains on the 
sides, so that on the whole we were quite comfortable. 

The "Enzo nzimbu'^ — otherwise the mosquito bar 
— is indispensable, if one would rest. Nor will he 
rest with it, unless somewhat insensible to the noises 
that assail him. Among the creators of these, the 
frogs easily hold the supremacy. There seemed a 
whole host of them, and suggested to me that one of 
the plagues of Egypt had repeated itself. But despite 
the concourse of sounds, far from sweet, we slept, and 
slept soundly. 

We rose at five-thirty, steamed away at six, and in 
three hours we passed the spot where the ^^En Avant'^ 
struck on a rock on the 1st of October, 1885. The 
few passengers and crew managed to get to some trees 
on the bank, in time to save themselves. The little 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 159 

steamer was repaired some time afterward, and did 
more service on the great river. 

The scenery in the narrow gorge beyond Stanley 
Pool is surpassingly grand. In this region the river 
varies in width from one to four miles, Avhile the high 
hills on either side are mostly well wooded, down to 
the water's edge. The trees that line the banks, while 
reflecting their dark-green hues in the waters, afford a 
grateful shade from an afternoon's sun. As a writer 
remarks : " During the dry season a strong wind from 
the sea draws up this narrow gully with great force ; 
and being against the strong current, turns the Congo 
into a nasty ^ choppy ' sea.'' This makes it difScult 
to tow boats alongside. Canoes travel in these waters, 
but because of the roughness, frequently have to lay 
to and wait, or travel in the night. It is a common 
sight to see the traders in camp on the banks of the 
Upper Congo, unable to steer their heavily laden canoes 
on the stormy waters. There are many rocks about 
this part of the river, and this did not tend to tran- 
quilize one's feelings. Hippopotami and crocodiles 
are sufficiently numerous to assure one that there 
would be little chance of escape, if anything happened 



160 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

to the steamer. What capacious jaws these crocodiles 
had ! Some of our missionaries were once taking a 
row on tlie Pool, when they came into unpleasant prox- 
imity to a huge croc', as we called the reptile. He 
extended his frightful jaws in an alarming manner ; 
but one well-directed bullet put into his scaly body 
caused him to dive into the depths. On the afternoon 
of our second day from the Pool, a dreadful storm 
came up, and we were tossed about as though we were 
at sea. With some difficulty we came to a bank, 
where we secured our steamer to a tree, and dropped 
anchor for the night. While we were at supper in 
our cabin, a hippo' came and paid us a visit. He 
floundered and spouted around for a time, and finally 
departed. Again and again we saw natives on the 
south bank, looking at us with evident interest. Many 
of them do not yet feel sure that our smoke boat is a 
thing without life. If it has no life, how does it make 
tliat noise ? Where does all that white smoke come 
from ? Where are they putting all that wood ? 

When about three hours from Kua Mouth, our 
steamer got into rough water. There was a powerful 
current on our starboard side, with a tremendous 



LIFE A^'D SCENES LN' CONGO. 161 

whirlpool directly in front of us. Had we known 
this in time, we might have avoided the full force of it. 
It must be remembered that even now, the river is not 
fully known, and many dangers have yet to be dis- 
covered. At two in the afternoon we were approach- 
ing this dangerous point. I was feeling rather below 
par, and was standing on the starboard side of our 
cabin, and next to the south bank of the Congo. 
Mr. W. and a colored man were at the wheel, and 
Mr. B. was near the engines, aft. Our steamer 
made several rough movements, which caused me to 
look forward. In doing so, I saw the whirlpool and. 
the strong current. At such a time and in such a 
current, it was too late to alter the course of our 
steamer with good effect. Into the whirlpool we went, 
and the current struck the starboard side where I was, 
turning the bow directly across the current. The 
steamer^s starboard side went completely under. It 
seemed to me that nothing could save her from 
foundering. Believing that she would immediately 
go down, I made an effort to reach her port side, as, if 
I remained on the starboard, I would be under her in 
case she sunk. By the time I reached her port side, 

L 



162 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

with a great struggle, as though she knew she had 
precious freight on board, the little steamer righted 
herself, and I felt the danger was past. One of our 
boys had a narrow escape, and our colored helmsman 
was thrown upon the deck. Some fowls and cooking 
utensils were washed overboard, as also my clock, 
which was on the cabin. But we were safe. Had 
the steamer gone down, it would have been utterly 
impossible to swim ashore ; the distance was too great, 
the current was too strong, and crocodiles were too 
numerous. We named this part of the river " Clock 
Point.'^ 

At Kua Mouth we made fast for the night. In 
the morning there was great commotion among the 
natives. A young native drank a lot of palm wine, 
fell into the water, and was seized by a crocodile. 
For hours the natives hunted along the banks in their 
canoes, hoping to find some trace of him, but without 
success. His poor mother came and sat on the shore 
by our steamer, and, assisted by her sympathizers, Avas 
loud in her lamentations. It was really painful to 
hear the poor old creature call for her boy, who could 
no longer be found. Kua Mouth was formerly a sta- 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 163 

tion of the Congo Free State^ but it has since been 
turned over to the Freuch Jesuit priests. 

One day from Kua Mouth, we set our men to chop 
wood. This was by no means an easy task, as the 
jungle was very thick, and as our men penetrated the 
wood to search for dead timber, they had to cut their 
way with their hatchets. Here in this isolated spot 
we spent a rather pleasant night. When we got to a 
good sandy beach like this one, our men usually pre- 
ferred to sleep on the sand, surrounded by camp fires. 
We slept on board. Here in spite of dangers from 
crocodiles, our boys enjoyed themselves in the water 
for half an hour. They are good swimmers and 
almost amphibious. 

We started the next morning early. My readers 
would laugh to hear our men when they are heaving 
off the whale boat Sailor-like, or rather Zanzibari- 
like, one shouts : 

"Elambra." 

This is replied to by the others with, " a." They 
repeat this several times, upon which they unitedly 
shout as they heave : 

" U-pra-a-a.^' 



164 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

In these forests there is much wood that would be 
valuable if it could be readily transported to some 
market. As we passed, now and then monkeys took 
sly glances at us from the trees, which glances I re- 
turned. That is, I looked up cautiously, thinking 
they might take it into their head to throw some dead 
branches of a tree at me. 

In the afternoon we called for half an hour at 
Bolobo, where was a station of the Congo Free State, 
but which had been recently abandoned. The south 
bank of the river at this point is densely populated, 
and we saw several thousand natives within the 
space of half an hour. The station of the Congo 
Free State was twice burned by the natives, but for 
what cause I could not ascertain. We found it diffi- 
cult to purchase food at this point. The people 
retired sullenly from the bank as we approached, and 
each man was fully armed. The spectacle was appall- 
ing. The thought that these horrid-looking men and 
women, tatooed all over, and fantastically dressed, had 
never-dying souls, was an almost overwhelming one. 
Dressed, did I say? Many of them were as naked as 
when they were born. Most of them carry flint-lock 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 165 

gUDS, native knives, and long spears. Here, after a 
good deal of effort, we purchased " kwanga,'^ peanuts, 
sugar-cane, fish, and corn. Our boys did a good trade 
in disposing of our empty meat tins, which, though 
worthless to us, were prized by the Bolobo. Tlie 
boys traded off these tins with sucli shrewdness as 
would put many an English or American boy in the 
shade. These people on the Upper Congo are emphati- 
cally traders. With skill they will drive a bargain. 
I have wandered among the Indians of Wyoming and 
Montana. I have visited them in their "tepees'^ in 
order to obtain interesting " curios '^ from them. That 
the Sioux Indians are cunning, the pale-faced Ameri- 
can knows too well ; but for skill and cunning and art- 
fulness in buying and selling, the Upper Congo trader 
surpasses the dusky inhabitants of the far West. Of 
course, some phases of their trading transactions are 
calculated to provoke a smile. One man approaches 
our whale boat in a small canoe, with a few large 
dried fish for sale. The Zanzibar men in the whale 
boat want the fish. The fish trader exhibits his 
specimens, but guardedly, and at a safe distance. 
" Bring the fish," shout the Zanzibaris. 



166 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

'^ Show the brass rods/' 

^•' Here they are ; bring the fish closer. Hand them 
to us/' 

" No ; you hand the brass rods first, and then I will 
give you the fish/' 

" You give us the fish first, and we will then give 
to you the brass rods." 

After much talk the price of a particular fish is 
finally agreed upon ; but how is the native to secure 
the brass rods? and how is the Zanzibari to make 
sure of the smoked fish ? 

The Zanzibari stretches toward the canoe; the 
native pulls a trifle nearer ; both are now excited. 

'^ Give me the fish.'' 

*^ Give me the ten brass rods.'^ 

" Give me the fish first." 

'^ Give me the ten brass rods first." 

Both men are now close to each other. The native 
grasps one end of the brass rods, while the Zanzibari 
eagerly seizes the tail end of the fish. 

" Let go the fish." 

'' Let go the brass rods.'^ 

Each man releases one, and grasps the other more 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 167 

teDaciously. The Zanzibar! rejoices in his fish, and 
the Bolobo rejoices in his brass rods. The whole 
transaction was '' malamu baa/^ or very good. 

Mr. B.J who was with me on the " Henry Reed/^ 
thus writes of a previous visit to this place, Bolobo. 

^' Soon after our arrival we heard tremendous drum- 
ming and shouting in the town. On inquiry we found 
some one had died. This led us to desire a walk into 
the towns, that we might get to know some of the 
habits and customs of the people. We went, and saw 
a most disgusting, pitiful, and heart-sickening sight. 
After passing through several villages, we came to an 
open space, where a great company of natives had as- 
sembled. The first thing to attract our attention was a 
large circle of men, who had been drinking palm wine 
till they were nearly drunk, and then were joining in 
a kind of savage dance, accompanied by wild singing 
and shouting. A little farther on we saw a still 
larger circle of women, who were smoking pipes about 
two feet in length, and at the same time, laughing, 
dancing, and shouting in a most hideous fashion. 

"A little to the left of them, in the middle of a na- 
tive hut w^hose wall had been removed, stood the coffin, 



168 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

coDtaiuing the body of the departed, and it was sur- 
rounded by women mourners, some wives, and other 
friends of the dead ; the whole formed such a sight 
that I shall never forget. 

" We noticed that two of the women and one man of 
the party that surrounded the coffin had been stripped 
of their usually scanty clothing, and a few blades of 
green grass given as a substitute. We also saw that 
their hands were made fast by native rope. Oh, what 
a look they gave us as we approached ! In answer to 
a question we w^ere told ^ these three are ready to be 
killed to celebrate the death of this chief.^ Two of 
them were his wives, and the other was a slave.^^ 

Mr. B.^s description is but a faint picture of 
the awful doings of these Bolobos. When a chief 
dies, they believe that he goes into a spirit world, and 
that he should be accompanied by his wives and slaves. 
Hence the death of a popular chief causes much 
bloodshed. Their common mode of execution is as. 
follows: The person chosen is securely fastened down 
to a rude chair, which is also tied to pegs driven into 
the ground. This chair is placed under a tree. A 
branch from the tree is forced downward, directly 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 169 

over the head of the condemned one. The branch is 
further secured to the head by means of cords made 
from the fibre of the palm. One well-directed blow 
with a knife, wielded by the strong arm of the exe- 
cutioner, and the bleeding head is thrown upward, as 
the branch returns to its position, and the body is 
afterward cast into the river. 

Leaving Bolobo, we sailed for several hours, and 
then anchored alongside a sandbank. Here our men 
worked for several hours, getting a supply of firewood, 
after which we retired for the night. At midniglit 
we were awakened by indications of a storm. Pres- 
ently it came — the rains descended and the floods 
came, and the winds blew, and I had to envelop my- 
self in my waterproof coat and overalls. Thus I slept 
the remainder of the night. Next day the captain 
and myself shot at a number of " hippos.^^ We did 
not, however, stop the steamer to wait and see how 
far we had been successful. 

That evening we were again favored w^ith a fine 
sandy beach, where we made fast for the night. But 
alas! it seemed as though the mosquitoes were specially 
arrayed to attack us. They stuck their proboscides into 



170 LIFE AND SCENES IN COXGO. 

my face and hands with terrible effect. Here our 
boys shot a fine fish eagle and a pigeon. We had six 
fires on the bank, and all our men were busily engaged 
chopping wood. The tall trees a few yards away; the 
occasional screech of a nocturnal bird ; the camp fires 
on the bank ; the half-naked forms of our men, as 
they were cleaving wood ; and the peculiar noise of 
our Zanzibaris with every stroke of the axe, and cut 
of the saw, made a weird scene. On the morrow we 
passed a number of large canoes going down the river. 
They were evidently cannibals, and came from above 
Lukolela. Indeed, cannibals in these regions are by 
no means rare. What a shudder it gives one to look 
upon the tatooed face of one who has many times 
feasted upon human flesh ! One of the little steamers 
on the upper river was at one time in the interior. 
As it lay at anchor one evening, a young man con- 
nected with the steamer thought he would like to ven- 
ture on shore, to see, and, if possible, converse with 
the strange people. To think was to act. He went 
and was soon surrounded by the natives, who had 
been watching the smoke boat with evident curiosity. 
Whatever their desires or intentions may have been, 



I 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 171 

they were not openly hostile ; but something in their 
attitude filled him with suspicion. Unfortunately, he 
could not understand their dialect. They were a 
strange people, and they therefore spake a strange 
tongue. 

Several of them seized him by the fleshy part of 
his arm in a loving manner, and he distinctly heard 
the words, "Nyama baa.'^ His suspicions were 
aroused, and he made for his place of refuge, the 
steamer. They evidently desired to taste a little of 
the stranger's flesh, for our friend soon discovered 
that " nyama baa'^ means plenty of meat. 

It is most interesting to hear the natives shout to 
each other over the water. By necessity and a long 
experience, they have acquired the art of carrying on 
a conversation when at a great distance from each 
other. I can hardly imitate them on paper. 

Arriving at Lukolela, we put up for the night. 
That is, we moored our steamer to some trees, and lit 
watch fires on the bank. At some stopping places it 
is very necessary to put two men to keep watch all 
night, to provide against an attack by the natives. 
This in many parts is now becoming less necessary. 



172 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

When two men act as watchers, in order to insure 
their keeping awake, it is customary to make them 
shout to each otlier every half minute through the 
night. Often when disturbed by mosquitoes at mid- 
night, I have heard the sonorous voices of the watch- 
ers, coming from different directions, beyond the 
camp fires, " W-a-t-c-h ! W-a-t-c-h ! '^ 

Lukolela was formerly occupied by the Congo Free 
State, but only temporarily. The English Baptists 
have since established a mission there. While here, 
we saw some fine monkeys of a large species, and here, 
too, our boys shot some fine guinea fowl. Soon after 
blowing the whistle, our steamer was surrounded by 
natives in canoes, bringing ^^besumbu," or cassava 
for our men and boys, and fowls for us. Most 
of the people are of the Ba-yanzi tribe, and speak the 
Ki-yanzi language. Several of the women who 
brought food for us were tatooed all over their 
shoulders and arms, and the collars they wore must 
have been uncomfortable in the extreme. They were 
not made of paper or of linen, but of solid brass, 
varying in weight from ten to twenty-eight pounds. 
It is considered an honor to wear a laroje heavv brass 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 173 

collar, although it must surely be very distressing. 
Often have I met persons holding the collar with 
both hands, so as to relieve the throat and shoulders 
somewhat. This is never taken off until the wearers 
die, or until they are executed over the grave of their 
chief. 

Of the fish offered for sale, we bought about one 
hundred, varying in weight from six to thirty-five 
pounds. 

When the Congo Free State occupied this place 
temporarily, two white men were placed there. Both 
spent much of their time in hunting ^' hippos,'' croco- 
diles, elephants, and buffaloes. One fatal day they 
were charged by a buffalo bull, and one of the white 
men was killed. The other escaped by climbing a 
tree. Mr. G., who escaped, was personally known to 
me, and we spent many an hour together at the 
Equator Station. 

The following evening after leaving Lukolela, we 
anchored hard b}'' another sandbank. Our camping 
place was beautiful for situation. The sand when in 
the water looked like gold dust, and I was reminded 
of Bishop Heber's hymn : 



174 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

** Where Afric's sunny fountains 
Roll down their golden sand. ' * 

But "All is not gold that glitters ^^ there is prob- 
ably no gold in thig sand. 

Here, myself, Mr. W., Captain Masari, and Mr. 
B. became children once more, and joined our boys 
right heartily in a game of leap-frog on the sands. 
During the night we had another real tropical 
storm. Mr. W., being on the exposed side, was 
drenched, bed clothes and all, and he had to seek 
shelter in the cabin, to be tormented, alas ! by mosqui- 
toes. The wind blew furiously, but I obstinately re- 
fused to get up, or rather get down, for I was perched 
on the cabin. 

Morning came. Joy came with the morning. The 
clouds dried their tears ; the winds sank to rest, and 
our men finished their wood chopping. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

EQUATOR STATION — '* BUY ME, INGILEZA '' — CURIOUS QUESTIONS 
— ARE THEY MAKING SOUP— OH, THY POCKET IS EMPTY — A VISIT 
FROM SAVAGES — SHUT YOUR EYES. 

A MONG those who came to visit the white man's 
place at Equator Station was a stalwart young 
man from the town of Wangata. He had a fine phy- 
sique, and his features were almost handsome. Though 
his breast was tatooed, his face was without a mark, 
save two large lumps of flesh in front of his ears. In 
order to cause these lumps, the flesh must have been 
greatly strained and lacerated. They stood out so 
prominently as to almost hide his ears, and gave to him 
a peculiar appearance. These marks probably distin- 
guished him as a slave among the people from whom 
he came. He was still a slave, and owned by old 
Ipambi, one of the chiefs of Wangata, and who was 
also the executioner of the district. I can hardly de- 
scribe Ipambi. He was more like a fierce animal than 

a man. While trading up the " Ikilemba," he pur- 

175 



176 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

chased Bana Ngulu. Ipambi owned several other 
slaves, though they had no particular work, and neither 
were they fed by him. They had to get their food as best 
they could. According to custom, these slaves would 
be killed over Ipambi^s grave, so that their spirits 
might accompany him to the other world. These poor 
slaves, unless they should happen to die, can only look 
forward to the time when their blood will be shed over 
their master's grave. This custom prevails in nearly 
the whole of Central Africa. Dr. Wolf, who ex- 
plored the Sankuru, and whom I met at Banza 
Manteke, reports that when the old king of Lukengo 
died, one thousand unfortunate wives and slaves were 
slaughtered on his grave. Bana Ngulu had, no doubt, 
often witnessed these awful and bloody scenes. He 
would not look upon them as we do. He would prob- 
ably feel that such an end was almost inevitable, and 
that his master had absolute control over him. Like 
the cloth and brass rods, the sheep and goats, he formed 
part of his master's wealth. 

As soon as I was able, I spoke to Bana Ngulu. 
My name up here was Plobela, which I adapted from 
Probert, as this they could not utter. They find a 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 177 

great difficulty in pronouncing the letter R. My 
brother's name was Mr. E. He was known as Ngi- 
leza, probably altered by some one from the word 
English. Bana Ngulu would stand outside, opposite 
the porch, and say t 

" Bondele, buy me ; I would like to work.'^ 

"What can you do, Bana Ngulu? '^ 

" Let me go with your men to cut sticks.'^ 

" Well, we will try and agree with Ipambi about 
your wages.'' 

Ipambi was willing to have Bana Ngulu work for 
us. Bana Ngulu received his food, and Ipambi got 
the pay. About this time Bana Ngulu became appre- 
hensive that Ipambi was about to kill him for some 
reason. Each time he returned with his load of wood, 
he would say so eagerly : 

" Bondele, buy me. I'll w^ork so hard for you. I 
won't run away. Buy me, Bondele, and send me 
to Kintamo. I am afraid Ipambi is going to kill 
me.^^ 

And so he begged, earnestly but respectfully, every 
diance he had. We had become so interested in Bana 
Ngulu, that we really wanted to liberate him from the 

M 



178 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

power of that miserable tyrant, Ipambi. It had to be 
managed with the greatest care, as Ipambi would ask 
a very high sum if he knew we were anxious to buy. 
Mr. G., of the English Baptist Mission, wanted the 
man to work at Stanley Pool, and was Avilling to give 
a good sum for him. After a good deal of talk with 
Ipambi, as is customary in all trading transactions, 
Ipambi agreed to sell his man for eight hundred brass 
rods and a few other articles. With his usual shrewd- 
ness, Ipambi said : 

^^Bbndele, I won^t take the pay now. If I do, the 
people will see me carrying it. When the stm is gone 
down, and it is quite dark, I will come." 

^' All right, Ipambi." 

At eight in the evening he came, with a slave to as- 
sist him in carrying his money. We counted out for 
him his brass rods ; and in addition to these, we gave 
him one small mirror, a knife, spoons, and a tin plate. 
The total cost of ransoming Bana Ngulu was less than 
sixteen dollars. Poor Bana did not dream of freedom ; 
he simply wanted a master with whom his life would 
be safe. It was some time before he could realize that 
he was not bought, but liberated. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 179 

The missionary or traveler who goes to Africa must 
be prepared to hear, if not to answer, some very strange, 
curious questions. Many questions are asked that the 
missionary could easily answer in his own tongue ; but 
to reply in the language of the native is a very different 
thing. Then some questions are asked which it would 
be diflBcult to answer in any language ; while others 
are simply amusing. I once went with Mr. B. to 
visit a certain town. The old chief sat upon a log, 
sharpening his knife, while he and his people listened 
to the strange words. Mr. B. was saying something 
about the other world, when the chief interrupted : 

" How am I going to get up there? (Pointing to 
the clouds). How could I return ? ^^ For he had no 
idea of remaining in the other world. All this was 
asked in sober earnestness. 

At Banza Manteke, when Mr. R. was speaking 
to the people, he was asked, what seemed to them 
a very practical question : 

" Can not our women work on the day you call 
' Lumingu ' (Sunday) ? 

The first time white men appeared on the Upper 
Congo, many funny questions were asked. 



180 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

^^Are those things fast on his face?'^ (The spectacles.) 

"Did those things grow on his feet?^^ 

The first steamers caused no little surprise. 

^' Look at that smoke boat." 

"What makes it move through the water faster 
than our canoes?" 

"What is that man doing (the fireman) putting 
sticks in that hole ? " 

" What makes that noise ? " 

" Look at that white smoke." 

"Are they making soup ? " 

Down country some of our people were asked : 

" How do you make your cloth so pretty ? " 

" Can white people make food from earth ? " 

One day, while talking in a distant town, one of 
our missionaries was asked : 

"Who made God?" 

" Who is the stronger, God or the devil ? " 

" If God is so strong, why does he not prevent the 
devil from tempting us?" 

Once at Mukimviba, one of the missionaries was 
asked : 

"Will God die?" 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 181 

'^ Has he a house?'' 

Some of these questions serve to show how much 
these poor people need the light. They also remind 
us of an English missionary in another part of Africa. 
He was speaking to the natives of the great country 
from which he came, and of the noble queen who 
ruled it, when he was interrupted with ^' How many 
cows has your queen got ? '' 

What corresponds to our letter "O '' is largely used 
by the Balolo tribe who live on and near the Equator. 
Let me here explain the " Ba '' and the ^' Ki '' used 
by nearly all the tribes of the great Bantu race. "Ba 
and Ki are prefixes. The one means the people, the 
other the language. For example, '^ Ba-lolo '' means 
the people, a certain tribe ; " Ki-lolo '' means the lan- 
guage spoken by that tribe. 

As to the " O,'' a brief conversation would be as 
follows: 

" White man.'' 

"O?" 

" Health to you." 

"O, health to you." 

^' Where are you going ? " 



182 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

'' O, I am going into the town." 

Or the native may be leaving the station for home. 

" Eanga.^' (Name of a friendly fisherman.) 

" You are going in the road ? " 

'^O, you stay?" 

" O." 

The Balolo have many peculiar expressions. Some- 
times after a man has made a purchase, and is about 
to sell the article to another, the first owner may feel 
inclined to interfere. This is objected to. If he in- 
sists, he is met with — 

" Would you sell the axe again ? " 

The meaning is, " You have sold a thing. Have 
you anything further to do with it?" 

No Balolo man wishes to be reminded of his pov- 
erty. Perhaps that is true of the human race. But 
the Balolo native likes to think he is rich. It is oifen- 
sive to call any one poor. Two natives may have a 
hot dispute. The one says very hard things, but the 
other gives him a deadly thrust, by saying : 

^^Thy pocket sounds empty; nyne full." 

This pocket is a kind of bag, in which they carry 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 183 

their money, such as cowries and brass rods. It is 
usually suspended from the shoulder. 

The children in our mission attach great importance 
to closing the eyes during prayer. In our own land 
I have observed a want of reverence in this respect, 
and have often wished that we might learn a lesson 
even from our little Congo children. I am not sure, 
however, that they are altogether prompted by feel- 
ings of profound reverence. Sometimes the tired 
little things will fall asleep at prayers in the evening. 

One of our missionaries once visited a strange town, 
and after speaking to the people, desired them to close 
their eyes, while he prayed to God. His request had 
a moving effect, for during prayer nearly all the 
people beat a hasty retreat. Alas, poor creatures! how 
did they know what harm might come upon them 
while their eyes were closed ! While at the Equator 
among the Balolo, we were visited by people who 
lived several days distant. They came to buy cloth, 
knives, spoons, looking glasses, brass nails, for which 
they offered fowls, sheep, and goats. 

One morning quite a large number of these savages 
came to the station — frightful-looking fellows they 



184 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

were. Their hair was dressed in a fantastic manner ; 
their bodies were smeared with grease and sprinkled 
with red powder ; their faces decorated with streaks of 
yellow and white clay, and each one carried a knife, 
spear, or gun. We induced them to attend our morn- 
ing service, which was held for half an hour in one 
of our large rooms. Partly out of curiosity they 
came. Each man brought his arms, and stood in the 
back part of the room. When Mr. E. was about 
to offer prayer, our Balolo boys turned to these men, 
and said, in a severe whisper : 

" Komba baishu bakinyu'^ (shut your eyes). 

They did close their eyes, and placed one hand 
tightly over them, while with the other they held 
their arms. I did not close my eyes, but peeped 
through my fingers to observe the effect upon tlie 
strangers. There was a fierce whisper, then a move- 
ment, and the man next the door was soon on the 
outside, followed by his companions. In a stooping 
position they ran, with a hand still pressed on their 
closed eyes, nor did they open them until they were 
fifty yards from the door. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

WOMAN STEALERS — WADZ' OKUM — WHO IS THE GREATEST- 
LONGEST ARMS — KILOLO HYMN — CLOSING ARTICLE — LIGHT 
FOR ETHIOPIA. 

/^NE night at the Equator, when our men were 
^^ seated around the watch fire they discerned a 
canoe with several natives attempting to pass in 
silence along the back current. They were evidently 
strangers, for had they l^nown our new place, they 
would have rowed against the current in mid stream, 
as the river is very wide. 

^* Why do ye not sing?'^ shouted our men. 

"Speak,^^ they shouted, *^if you are peaceable peo- 
ple. Whence come you, and whither go you thus in 
silence ?^^ 

The occupants of the canoe pulled harder, but made 
no reply, upon which our men, before we could pre- 
vent them, seized large firebrands and threw them at 
the canoe. With some difficulty we made them 
desist, and the canoe passed on without any remon- 
strance from its silent oarsmen. This really looked 

^185 



186 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

suspicious, and we felt there was some ground for the 
remark of our boys: 

"lyo bantu baubi^^ (^^^7 ^^^ bad people). 

We soon forgot all about it, and went to rest. At 
daybreak next morning, we were aroused by hearing 
men, women, and children making most unearthly 
noises, each one trying to speak louder than the rest. 
All the men were armed, some with flint-lock guns, or 
knives; others with spears and shields, or bows and 
arrows. My first thought was, ^^They are going to 
attack us,^^ as I distinctly heard the words, '^ KundeP 
iyo^^ (shoot them). We were speedily relieved by 
finding that they did not offer any violence to our 
persons, when we appeared on the veranda. On all 
sides were heard shouts of: 

^^Oh, mundele, yaka ndanza, kundeP iyo la umbau 
oke'' (Oh, white man, come outside, shoot them with 
your gun). 

We said, " Ipambi, what is the matter?^' 

^^Look, look!^^ said he, pointing out upon the river, 
where I observed a canoe going swiftly down the 
current. I called for my glass, and saw there were 
three men and one woman in the canoe. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. J 87 

I asked, "Who is that woman ?^' 

" Wadz' okum/' shouted a man near me, and who 
was in great distress; " Wadz^ okura, white man'^ 
(my wife, white man). They wanted us to shoot, 
either because they knew our Winchesters would carry 
farther, or because they had greater confidence in our 
skill as marksmen ; but we did not oblige them. 

" Ipambi, we must not shoot, but we are sorry for 
you. We come not here to kill, for we love you all. 
Unless you pursue them, we can not help you. We 
come from a land many days distant, to tell you how 
to do right. You often steal people, and you have 
killed many with that big knife by your side. You 
steal from each other ; you kill each other ; it is all 
wrong, but tell us how this happened.'^ 

" I will, mundele. Last night a canoe came to the 
bank of the river, opposite our town, and we knew it 
not. Earlv this mornino; the wife of this man went 
to the river to fetch water, and was seized and carried 
off as you have seen." 

" Be prepared if they come again, and know, 
Ipambi, we are your friends if you do right." 

" Oh, yes, mundele, we know that." 






188 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

And so they retired to their town, one mourning 
the loss of his wife, whom he would never see again. 
Whether she was sacrificed at some cannibal feast, or 
sold as a slave, or became the wife of a chief of a far- 
off tribe, w^e had no means of finding out. 

Upper Congo natives have their ideas of superior- 
ity as have the other tribes and nations. The roads 
in Congo are narrow, not wide enough for two to 
go abreast. On the Lower Congo, this road is called 
^^njila'^; among the Balolo it is called " mboka." 
One day I Avent to a certain town with a friend who 
had been there before, and naturally he took the lead. 
The natives in the town asked : 

^'Why do you go in front of the other white 
man?'' 

'^ Because I know the road.'' 

"But the other white man has the longest whiskers." 

They could not understand how men could be equal 
in office and position. Once w^e were asked : 

" Why do you not fight and see who is the better 
man, then let him be chief?" 

"No; that would be wrong and foolish. We do 
not want to be chief. 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 189 

One instance may be given to show that the Bayanzi 
and Balolo traders have considerable tact and shrewd- 
ness. They frequently came to our station to buy 
our cloth. We usually sold our cloth by the fathom. 
On the table, in front of the store window, we had 
marks to indicate various lengths. The table itself 
would measure just six feet, or as a Balolo man would 
sav, '' Loboko lo monkolo.^^ Six feet or one fathom 
is about as much as a person can stretch with his arms. 
Sometimes a number of traders would come at one 
time, and they would want to measure the cloth 
themselves. We could not at first guess the reason of 
this. Did they suspect us ? No, it could not be that. 
Did they fear we gave them short measure? They 
knew better than that. They wanted to be permitted 
to measure cloth, so that they might select the man 
with the longest arm, and thus gain a few inches on 
each fathom. 

1 here give my readers a verse of a hymn in the 
Kilolo language. It was composed by one of our 
American Baptist Mission Union missionaries, during 
my residence at Wangata, and the full translation is 
below. 



t 



S' 



u 



19C LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 



Nzakomba Fafa ; 
We mongo ndemaki ; 



^ Toma toe tomumu, 

We kika le bolemi. 



^ God our Father ; 

Thou thj^self didst make me ; 

Of all things 

Thou alone art the maker. 



In the beginning, Father, 
Thou didst make people ; 
Thou didst give them spirits ; 
C They understood thy words. 

Our bodies 

1 Will die, but 

For ever and for ever (season by season) 

Our spirits will live (or have hfe). 
n 

It was midnight. I was traveling up the country. 

My bed was fixed. The grass was the carpet ; the 

sky was the ceiling. Hearing a noise near the camp, 

ii and wishing to ascertain what it was, I arose, struck 

a match, applied it to the candle in the lantern, and 

n the light dispelled the darkness which a moment be- 

fore surrounded me. As I returned to my bed, I 

n thought: "Africa has been enveloped for ages in great 



LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 191 

moral and spiritual darkness. As the only way to 
dispel natural darkness is to introduce light^ so the 
only way to dispel the gross darkness that hangs over 
that vast continent, like some deathly nightshade, is 
to introduce the light of ' the glorious gospel of the 
blessed God ^ ; to tell them of him who said : ' I am 
the Light of the world.^ Shall we, then, heed the 
cry from Macedonia? Shall not those who now sit in 
darkness hear of the world's Redeemer? Shall we 
hide from the regions beyond the glorious gospel 
of Christ, which is our joy in life, and our only hope 
in death?'' 

Let the memories of those who have fallen in the 
conflict inspire us w4th lioly zeal. All may not actu- 
ally go out, but all may render some assistance. If 
you cannot descend the mine, hold the ropes. The 
time for seed-sowing is short. The king's business 
requireth haste. ^^Men of Israel, help." The mid- 
night darkness of the " dark continent " is slowly, but 
surely passing away. The morning cometh. The 
time of Afric's visitation is come. Ethiopia shall soon 
stretch out her hands in supplication unto a loving 
and pardoning God. 



192 LIFE AND SCENES IN CONGO. 

''From Congo's mighty river, 

And densely-peopled plains, 
They call us to deliver 

Their souls from Satan's chains. 
A land of beauteous sunshine, 

Fairer than Ceylon's isle ; 
Where every prospect pleases— 

But man, poor man, is vile. 

'' Winds do not waft the gospel, 

Nor waves the message roll ; 
The sweet and ' old, old story/ 

Must fill the human soul. 
Souls by the Lord appointed. 

Who all things count but loss ; 
Men for the work anointed, 

Whose glory is the cross. 

*' Light of this world's gross darkness, 

On Ethiopia shine, 
Till Ham's sin-stricken children 

Receive the beams divine. 
Thou Light of earth's dark pathway, 

Light of the world above ; 
Guide Afric's sons and daughters 

To heaven, where all is love/' 



L^i 



THE END. 



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OCT 78 

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